waste recovery operation

Defined by the European Court of Justice in the following terms: "the essential characteristic of a waste recovery operation is that its principal objective is that the waste serves a useful purpose in replacing other materials which would have had to be used for that purpose, thereby conserving natural resources." The Waste Management (England and Wales) Regulations 2006 (SI 2006 No.937) amend the Waste Management Licensing Regulations 1994 introducing a list of waste recovery operations.