Street Works UK Waste Classification Protocol: Key Changes Explained

From 1st October 2025, UK street works will manage excavation waste in a significantly different way. The new Street Works UK (SWUK) Material Classification Protocol becomes mandatory nationwide, replacing the Environment Agency’s Regulatory Position Statements (RPS) 298 and 299, which expire on 30 September 2025.

This shift marks more than just a regulatory update; it introduces a clearer and more consistent framework for classifying and reporting excavation materials. For utilities and contractors carrying out everything from emergency repairs to major street works, the protocol will have day-to-day implications both in the office and on site.

RPS 298 and 299: What They Are and How the SWUK Protocol Replaces Them

The Environment Agency created two Regulatory Position Statements (RPS 298 and RPS 299) that shaped how street and utility works managed excavation waste. The rules end on 30 September 2025, and Street Works UK replaces them with the new Material Classification Protocol.

RPS 298

At a glance: RPS 298 let teams move excavation waste from street and utility works before classification when pre-excavation sampling wasn’t possible. However, it excluded hazardous materials such as visible asbestos or obvious coal tar.
Why it existed: The Environment Agency introduced RPS 298 to give flexibility for reactive or short-notice excavations where pre-removal sampling wasn’t possible.
Why withdrawal matters: After 30 September 2025, excavation waste from street and utility works must be classified and managed in accordance with the Street Works UK Material Classification Protocol, rather than RPS 298.

RPS 299

At a glance: RPS 299 showed contractors how to store, separate, and move excavation waste under RPS 298 without a full environmental permit, provided they followed the stated conditions. It replaced RPS 211.
Why it existed: The Environment Agency introduced RPS 299 to provide a practical framework for storing and managing excavation waste linked to RPS 298.
Why withdrawal matters: As RPS 298 expires, RPS 299 automatically falls away, with both replaced by the Street Works UK Material Classification Protocol.

Street Works UK Material Classification Protocol: How It Works

Street Works UK (SWUK) developed the Material Classification Protocol as a sector-wide framework for handling excavation waste. It moves the industry away from short-term regulatory fixes and towards a risk-based, standardised system that applies across both reactive and planned works.

Rather than relying on temporary exemptions, the protocol requires companies to classify materials based on site conditions, proportionate sampling, and laboratory validation. This approach reduces inconsistency, cuts environmental risks, and creates a clear audit trail for regulators, utilities, and contractors.

To make compliance practical, the protocol sets out several key requirements. Below, we’ve broken them down into their main components:

Waste Segregation

Under the Street Works UK Waste Classification Protocol, excavated materials must be separated at the point of excavation and remain distinct throughout handling, transport, and final disposal. Soils, asphalt layers, and hazardous wastes cannot be mixed. This segregation reduces contamination risks, improves recycling opportunities, and ensures that each waste stream can be treated at a facility licensed to handle its classification. Failing to keep waste types separate can lead to compliance breaches, higher costs, and potential environmental harm.

Risk Assessments

Each excavation now requires a combination of desk-based and on-site risk assessments. These evaluations help identify hazards such as coal tar in old road surfaces, petroleum hydrocarbons, or asbestos fragments before materials are removed. By front-loading this analysis, contractors can make informed decisions about classification and avoid costly mismanagement later. Risk assessments must also be documented, creating a compliance trail that links directly to job records and Street Manager submissions.

Sampling and Testing

To validate classifications, at least 1% of total excavations must undergo accredited laboratory testing. Samples are taken from representative sites and compared against the desk-based and field assessments. This system of checks ensures consistency across projects and provides reassurance to regulators that waste is being managed correctly. Companies that repeatedly show discrepancies between field classification and lab results may be required to increase their sampling rate, adding time and cost to future projects.

Waste Management Compliance

Once waste has been properly classified, it must be transported only to facilities authorised to process that specific type. This may include licensed recycling centres for asphalt, soil treatment facilities, or hazardous waste disposal sites. Accurate records – including permits, transfer notes, and classification details – are essential. These records demonstrate compliance during audits and protect contractors from penalties or disputes if questions arise about how materials were handled.

Quarterly Reporting

Every quarter, participating companies are required to compile and submit reports to Street Works UK. These must include details of excavations completed, classification decisions, and laboratory results for the required sample percentage. The same data also needs to be uploaded to the Street Manager platform, creating a centralised record accessible to regulators and local authorities. Regular reporting is designed to improve transparency across the sector and reduce non-compliance risks.

Regulatory Oversight

The Environment Agency plays an active role in monitoring how effectively the protocol is being applied. It compares desk and site-based classifications with laboratory test results to check for accuracy. Where results are consistently aligned, companies benefit from predictable compliance requirements. Where discrepancies are frequent, regulators may impose stricter conditions, such as higher sampling percentages or exclusion from the protocol. This oversight ensures that the system remains robust and protects both the environment and public health.

How the Street Works Protocol Affects Office and Operational Teams

For office-based teams, the protocol does more than add a compliance box — it changes how they manage and report information.

More data to handle: Teams must now add detailed desk-based assessments and lab results to the compliance record, store them digitally, and submit them each quarter through Street Manager and to Street Works UK.
Training and systems: Staff will need to understand the new classification process and get comfortable with digital platforms. Many companies will look to upgrade or expand software systems to manage this flow of information.
Cost and planning considerations: Mandatory testing and stricter segregation rules add to operational costs and require closer coordination between the office and site.

In short, compliance under the new protocol is as much an information management challenge as it is an operational one.

Street Works Protocol: What It Means for Field Workers On-Site

For site crews, the changes are immediate and hands-on.

On-the-ground assessments: Workers must apply risk assessments to identify potential hazards, such as hydrocarbons, coal tar, or asbestos, before moving materials.
Segregation at source: Teams must keep soils, asphalt, and hazardous and non-hazardous materials separate from the moment of excavation.
Greater responsibility: Field teams now play a direct role in accurately classifying waste, making training in identification and segregation essential.
Workflow adjustments: Extra steps, such as pre-excavation checks and careful material handling, may initially slow jobs, but they improve long-term efficiency and compliance.

These changes place more responsibility on field workers but also strengthen the role they play in ensuring environmental compliance and sustainable practices.

How to Stay Compliant with the Street Works UK Waste Protocol

Practical steps to stay compliant

Use this quick checklist on every job to meet the Street Works UK Waste Classification Protocol.

1) Plan assessments early
Run desk checks before work starts and confirm when a full site-specific risk assessment is needed. Share prompts with crews so hazards are flagged before materials move.
2) Keep waste streams separate
Segregate as you excavate. Don’t mix soils with asphalt, or hazardous with non-hazardous. Label piles and vehicles from trench to destination.
3) Validate with testing
Book accredited lab analysis for at least 1% of excavations. Store results against the job or permit reference for quick evidence.
4) Report consistently
Submit quarterly returns to Street Works UK and upload classification + testing data to the Street Manager portal. Keep a clean audit trail.
5) Use licensed facilities
Send each stream only to sites permitted for that classification (e.g, asphalt recycling, soil treatment, hazardous disposal). Keep permits and transfer notes with the job file.

Depotnet: Supporting Compliance with the Street Works UK Protocol

You don’t need to make compliance with the new protocol complicated. Depotnet brings all the moving parts – risk assessments, testing records, waste transfer notes, and quarterly reporting – into a single, easy-to-use platform.

Simplify assessments by uploading desktop reviews, completing site-based risk checks, and linking them directly to excavation records.
Stay on top of reporting with built-in tools that generate compliant outputs for both Street Works UK and the Street Manager portal.
Maintain full traceability by classifying waste, logging transfer notes, and keeping a clear audit trail across every project.

By embedding these features into day-to-day workflows, Depotnet helps contractors and utilities reduce admin time, cut compliance risks, and stay ahead of regulatory deadlines. When the new rules go live in October 2025, your teams will already be ready.