Movement of Japanese Knotweed Material

It is likely that the burial of Japanese knotweed or contaminated soil imported from another site for the treatment or burial of the invasive weed or in order to meet a required Japanese knotweed burial depth, will present an increased risk of spreading the weed.

The use of tracked machinery on-site, during Japanese knotweed control, should be limited as much as possible until Japanese knotweed-infested areas have been cleared or cordoned off.

Irrespective of where the Japanese knotweed material is deposited pending Japanese knotweed removal, any site accepting Japanese knotweed contaminated soil or Japanese knotweed for treatment will require a waste management license and or a permit.

If site licensing conditions do not allow for burying or burning of Japanese knotweed contaminated soil on site, Japanese knotweed contaminated soil must be disposed of at an appropriately licensed waste management facility dealing with Japanese knotweed control.

Material containing any infestation of Japanese knotweed should be taken to a landfill site or other disposal site, licensed to receive Japanese knotweed and the landfill operator must be informed of the nature of the Japanese knotweed waste so that the Japanese knotweed can be disposed of appropriately within the site.

Japanese knotweed or any soil containing Japanese knotweed which is discarded is a controlled waste and should be accompanied by appropriate waste transfer documentation.

Japanese Knotweed is classed as a controlled waste and the duty of care with respect to Japanese knotweed waste will have to be complied with. You must ensure all Japanese knotweed removal off site is accompanied with a completed transfer note relating to Japanese knotweed removal and carried by a person authorized in Japanese knotweed removal, such as a waste carrier. Any disposal site for the Japanese knotweed waste would have to hold a waste management licence for Japanese knotweed removal.

Hauliers should not accept Japanese Knotweed infested waste unless they can guarantee Japanese knotweed’s appropriate legal disposal. If you are aware of waste producers who are failing to inform their hauliers of the presence of Japanese knotweed, or of hauliers who are knowingly disposing of Japanese knotweed infested material in an inappropriate manner, you should inform your local Environment Agency office.

Hauliers must also ensure that during the removal of Japanese knotweed material to a Japanese knotweed waste management site, vehicles do not carry Japanese knotweed-containing soils on the wheels or bodies and that the vehicle is suitably covered or enclosed to prevent escape from Japanese knotweed waster during transport. For small quantities of Japanese knotweed material, this may include sealing the Japanese knotweed material in black bags.