Who regulates waste petrol in England?

In brief

The Environment Agency regulates waste petrol in England, from storage and permits to the paperwork that moves it. Call 07950 582635 or send an enquiry.

Reporting a petrol spill in England

Report pollution, or anything that could reach a drain or watercourse, to the Environment Agency incident hotline on 0800 80 70 60, which is open 24 hours. Spilled fuel and used absorbents are then hazardous waste.

What the regulator in England does

The Environment Agency issues environmental permits for sites that store and treat waste, keeps the public register of waste carriers, brokers and dealers, and can inspect producers and carriers.

Permits for waste fuel sites in England

Sites that store or treat waste fuel in England need an environmental permit from the Environment Agency, or a registered exemption for small, low-risk activities.

How City Fuel Services handles waste petrol

We collect waste petrol from cans and drums up to bulk tanks, across England, Wales and mainland Scotland, from our licensed site in Droylsden, Manchester. Terms, a rebate or a charge, are agreed before collection.

Terms used in this answer

Environmental permit: Permission from the regulator to run a site that stores, treats or receives waste, with conditions on how much and how.
Duty of care: The legal duty on anyone who produces or holds waste to keep it safe, describe it accurately, pass it only to an authorised person and keep the paperwork.

Key facts
Nation	England
Regulator	Environment Agency
Fuel	Petrol
Also called	gasoline, motor spirit, unleaded
Waste code	13 07 02* (petrol)

Petrol in brief

Unleaded petrol, also called gasoline or motor spirit, is a light, volatile fuel for spark-ignition engines, made in the UK to BS EN 228. Petrol can be recovered, but its volatility, evaporation losses and handling controls mean it is usually worth less than the same volume of clean diesel.

Official guidance: GOV.UK: hazardous waste rules for England.