Email: [email protected]

Telephone: 0800 494 7479

Waste Acceptance Criteria (WAC) Testing

WAC Testing

Accredited analysis for water-industry soil-reuse compliance — keeping your installation programme stable and adoption-ready. 

Do you need WAC testing?

You may need WAC testing if you’re disposing of excavated soils, redevelopment spoil, or material from demolition and remediation works. WAC results confirm the correct landfill class so your project avoids cost, non-compliance, or rejected loads. 

This early clarity protects you from last-minute delays and unplanned redesign. 

WAC Testing is often required when:

  • disposing of soils from brownfield sites 
  • determining whether waste is inert, non-hazardous or hazardous 
  • remediating contamination 
  • complying with Duty of Care and waste-transfer regulations 
  • preparing spoil management strategies for planning 
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What is WAC Testing?

Waste Acceptance Criteria (WAC) testing classifies soil or waste according to the leachable contaminants that could impact landfill receptors. It determines whether material must be disposed of as inert, non-hazardous, or hazardous, and ensures compliance with environmental permitting and landfill requirements. 

WAC testing does not determine whether soil is contaminated for planning — it determines what type of landfill can legally accept it. 

Tests typically include: 

  • leachate metals (arsenic, lead, chromium, zinc, copper) 
  • leachate sulphate and chloride 
  • leachate ammonia 
  • DOC (dissolved organic carbon) 
  • phenols 
  • BTEX and TPH leachates 
  • pH, conductivity, TOC 

Your outputs are structured for disposal contractors, planners and environmental regulators. 

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WAC Testing

Signs You Need a WAC Test

Physical / Site Triggers:

  • excavation of brownfield soils 
  • soil containing demolition materials 
  • site clearance generating mixed waste 
  • odours, staining, or unusual soil colour 
  • material with potential leachability risk 

Administrative / Regulatory Triggers:

  • landfill requesting WAC evidence 
  • Duty of Care documentation incomplete 
  • remediation conditions requiring disposal classification 
  • waste-transfer stations querying material type 
  • planning requesting evidence of appropriate soil management 
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What We Deliver

A structured, proportionate, planning-ready service. 

Service Purpose Outcome
Pre-Sampling Review Confirm required tests and disposal pathways. Clear scope and low-risk sampling strategy.
Soil Sampling Obtain representative samples with correct methodology. Accurate data and reliable chain-of-custody.
Accredited Laboratory Testing Perform full leachate analysis and classification. Defensible WAC dataset for disposal.
WAC Classification Report Assign inert / non-hazardous / hazardous class. Structured reporting accepted by landfill operators.
Disposal Strategy Guidance Outline compliant, cost-effective routes. Predictable, controllable waste movement.

That’s how classification stays accurate, disposal stays predictable, and your programme stays on schedule. 

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How it Works

Scope & Confirmation

Send your project location, disposal volume and any previous testing. We confirm sampling needs and costs.

Sampling

A qualified consultant collects representative samples and coordinates accredited laboratory analysis.

Reporting

You receive a landfill-ready WAC report with clear classification and disposal guidance.

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Case Insight

Excavation works uncovered mixed soils on a redevelopment site. WAC testing identified the material as non-hazardous, avoiding costly hazardous-waste routing. A disposal plan was issued, keeping earthworks on programme.
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Timing & Delivery

Sampling

Year-round availability

Turnaround

within 10 working days (including lab analysis)

Urgent Cases

Expedited testing available nationwide

Each week gained here protects your adoption programme and prevents costly redesign or resubmission. 

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Who uses our WAC Testing Services?

  • Developers and contractors 
  • Remediation specialists 
  • Planning and environmental consultants 
  • Waste management companies 
  • Utility and infrastructure contractors 
  • Local authorities managing brownfield sites 

What You Receive:

  • Representative soil sampling 
  • Laboratory analysis by accredited facilities 
  • WAC classification: inert / non-hazardous / hazardous 
  • Clear interpretation of leachate results 
  • Disposal guidance aligned with permitting rules 
  • Nationwide coverage and predictable turnaround 
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Legal Compliance & Disposal Risk

WAC testing supports compliance under:

  • Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2016 
  • Landfill Directive 1999/31/EC 
  • Relevant British Standards sampling protocols 
  • Duty of Care Regulations 
  • Hazardous Waste Regulations 
  • Local planning and remediation guidance 

Missing or incorrect WAC classification can result in: 

  • rejected waste at landfill 
  • surcharges or re-testing costs 
  • programme delay due to re-routing disposal 
  • regulatory non-compliance penalties 
  • unplanned stockpiling and site congestion 

 

Early WAC clarity keeps disposal predictable and prevents downstream disruption. 

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Your Next Step

Need WAC testing? We’ll confirm your requirements and deliver clear, compliant classification — fast.

Phone: 0800 494 7479 
 Email: [email protected] 

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Areas We Cover

We cover many areas across England and Wales. Click below to find out more.

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WAC Testing FAQs

What does WAC stand for in environmental testing?

WAC stands for Waste Acceptance Criteria. It refers to a standardised set of laboratory tests used to determine how waste materials, such as soils, can be classified for disposal at landfill.

In construction, WAC testing is used to classify excavated soils or materials before they are removed from site. It ensures waste is disposed of correctly and in compliance with environmental regulations during development or remediation works.

WAC testing involves laboratory analysis of both total contaminant concentrations and leachability. Materials are tested under controlled conditions to assess how contaminants may behave when disposed of in landfill.

WAC testing is required when materials are being disposed of at landfill and cannot be classified using existing data. It is commonly needed during site clearance, remediation, or bulk earthworks.

Waste classification (WM3) determines whether a material is hazardous or non-hazardous based on its chemical composition. WAC testing goes further by assessing how that material behaves in landfill conditions, particularly its leaching potential.

WAC testing is used to determine whether materials are suitable for:

  • Inert landfill
  • Non-hazardous landfill
  • Hazardous landfill

Each classification has specific acceptance criteria that must be met before disposal.

WAC testing ensures that materials are disposed of legally and safely. Without it, there is a risk of delays, rejected loads at landfill, or non-compliance with environmental regulations, all of which can impact programme and costs.

How is a WAC test carried out?

WAC testing involves collecting representative samples from site, which are then analysed in a laboratory. The testing process includes chemical analysis and leach testing to determine how contaminants may migrate under landfill conditions.

Turnaround times depend on the laboratory and scope of analysis, but results are typically provided within a standard reporting period once samples have been received. Early testing helps avoid delays during construction.

Not all soils require WAC testing. If sufficient data already exists to classify materials, additional testing may not be necessary. However, where uncertainty exists, WAC testing is required to confirm the correct disposal route.

If materials do not meet the acceptance criteria for a specific landfill type, they must be reclassified and disposed of at a more appropriate facility. In some cases, treatment or further assessment may be required.

WAC testing is governed by environmental legislation and landfill acceptance criteria to ensure safe disposal of waste materials. Guidance is typically aligned with requirements set by the Environment Agency and may vary depending on Local Planning Authority expectations.

The WAC testing process typically involves:

  1. Site assessment and identification of materials
  2. Collection of representative samples
  3. Laboratory analysis of contaminants
  4. Leachability testing
  5. Waste classification against landfill criteria
  6. Reporting to support disposal decisions

WAC testing assesses a range of potential contaminants, including heavy metals, hydrocarbons, sulphates, and other substances that may impact landfill acceptance or environmental risk.

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