Environmental Standards

Waste Acceptance Criteria

KSA

Presidency of Meteorology and Environment

PME Reference

Kingdom of Saudi Arabia National Environmental Standard

Waste Acceptance Criteria

Article I Preliminary

1)

Definitions
basic characterisation constitutes a thorough
determination, according to standardised analysis
and behaviour testing methods, of the short and
long-term leaching behaviour and/or characteristic
properties of the waste.
biodegradable means capable of being degraded
by plants and animals.
Competent Agency where referenced, refers to
the Presidency of Meteorology and Environment or
its designated representative.
compliance checking constitutes periodical
testing by simpler standardised analysis and
behaviour testing methods to determine whether a
waste complies with licence conditions and/or
specific reference criteria.
container is any vessel or receptacle used to
hold or transport substances or wastes, including
hazardous substances and wastes.
disposal means the discharge, deposit, injection,
dumping, spilling, leaking, or placing of any waste
into or on any land or water so that such waste or
any constituent thereof may enter the environment
or be emitted into the air or discharged into any
waters, including ground waters.
generator is a commercial or industrial
organisation which produces or stores trackable
waste and arranges for this waste to be sent for
storage, recycling, treatment or disposal at another
location via an authorised transporter.
GER refers to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabias
General Environmental Regulations.
hazardous waste is a waste with properties that
make it dangerous or capable of having a harmful
effect on human health and the environment.
KSA refers to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
L:S refers to liquid to solid ratios.
on-site verification constitutes rapid check
methods to confirm that a waste is the same as
that which has been subjected to compliance
checking and that which is described in the
accompanying documents.
parameter shall refer to a chemical, physical or
biological measurement factor as listed.

PME refers to the Presidency of Meteorology and

Environment who are designated as the
responsible authority for the protection of the
environment and the development of environmental
protection standards in the Kingdom of Saudi
Arabia.
risk assessment is the process of identifying and
quantifying a risk and assessing the significance of
that risk in relation to other risks.
storage means all operations intended to keep or
contain wastes and other hazardous, toxic or
radioactive substances for the purpose of
treatment, transportation or disposal.
storage pools are any lined or unlined hole,
depression or are naturally or artificially enclosed,
consisting mainly of earthy, cement or any other
processed materials designated for holding
accumulated liquid-containing wastes.
tanks are stationary devices, as opposed to
portable containers, used to store or treat waste.
Tanks can be open topped or completely enclosed,
and may be constructed of materials including
steel, plastic, fibreglass, and concrete.
transporter means a person engaged in the offsite transportation of waste by air, rail, highway or
water and is anyone who transports the trackable
waste from its place of production or storage to
another location.
treatment is any means or technique of altering
the physical, chemical or biological properties of
wastes used to neutralize such wastes; utilize
substances or energy contained therein or released
by them; and transform the hazardous wastes into
wastes that are non-hazardous, less hazardous or
safer when transported, stored, disposed of,
prepared for storage, or reduced in volume.
TSD Facility refers to a treatment, storage and/or
a disposal facility.
underground storage for the purposes of this
Standard is a permanent waste storage facility in a
deep geological cavity such as a salt or potassium
mine.
WAC refers to Waste Acceptance Criteria.
WAP refers to Waste Acceptance Procedures.
waste generators refers to an individual, group,
or organization at a facility which produces
waste.

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waste handler is a generator, transporter and

receiver of waste who has waste responsibilities.

e) This standard outlines a nationally consistent

approach for KSA for the disposal of waste to landfill.

waste management unit is a contiguous area of

land on or in where there is significant likelihood of
mixing hazardous wastes in the same area.

f) PME is charged with protecting the natural

environment and therefore is obliged to issue
controls over waste activities in KSA. This standard
aims to assist improved control of environmental
pollution, protect public health and welfare and
minimise the impact upon economic development.

waste piles are non-liquid waste accumulations

not placed in containers, a landfill or a storage
pool.
waste receiver is any person operating a facility
to which waste is transported for recycling, storage,
treatment or disposal.

5)

b) This standard extends to all waste types including

hazardous, non-hazardous and inert waste.
c) This standard provides Waste Acceptance Criteria
(WAC) and Waste Acceptance Procedures (WAP).
d) Where all the limit values for WAC are met, the
waste will be acceptable for final disposal at a
hazardous waste landfill site. Where the limit values
are not met, then the waste must be treated to bring
it within the required acceptance limits or an
alternative disposal route must be sought.

Citation
a) This document may be cited as the Waste
Acceptance Criteria Standard for KSA. This standard
revises the current General Standards for the
Environment (specifically document number 142301) issued by the Presidency of Meteorology and
Environment (PME).

3)
.

e) A waste material identified as a hazardous waste

in the Waste Classification Standard will not
necessarily be accepted into a hazardous waste
landfill. Waste classification and WAC are not linked.
The Waste Classification Standard classifies the
waste, whereas the WAC Standard defines what
class of landfill a waste is eligible for.

Timescales for implementation

f) This standard outlines a nationally consistent

approach for KSA for the disposal of waste to landfill.
It provides WAC for three classes of landfills
(hazardous, non-hazardous and inert), including
concentration limits covering a greater range of
contaminants than those specified in the Waste
Classification Standard.

a) The effective date of this standard is 01/05/1433H

corresponds to 24/03/2012G.

4)

Scope
a) This standard applies to waste Generators and
TSD facility operators.

waste tracking is the recording of information

from the waste generator about the quantity and
type of waste produced; recording information
about who transported the waste and when;
recording information from the waste receiver
about the quantity and type of waste received; and
matching information about the waste from both the
generator and the receiver.

2)

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Purpose
a) The objective of this standard is to establish the
framework for PME to develop waste acceptance
criteria for waste generators and TSD facility
operators with the aim of reducing the environmental
impact of landfills.

g) Under this standard, hazardous wastes will only

be accepted at hazardous waste landfills after it has
been treated or stabilised to minimise hazards and
then disposed of at landfills that offer an
appropriately high standard of environmental
protection.

b) The provisions in this standard are relevant to

waste destined for disposal at landfill after
consideration of alternative waste management
options.

h) There are three kinds of WAC including leaching

limit values, limit values for other parameters and a
list of inert wastes which may be accepted without
testing.

c) Acceptance criteria needs to be employed to

ensure only certain waste can be disposed of to
landfill so as to ensure the protection of human
health and the environment.

i) There are a number of special provisions relating

to stable, non-reactive hazardous wastes, asbestos
and gypsum wastes, and underground storage.

d) Acceptance criteria determine the waste to be

diverted from landfill, or categories of landfill, by
establishing contaminant thresholds for hazardous
and inert landfills to determine which wastes are
acceptable for landfilling.
6)

Exemptions

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Presidency of Meteorology and Environment

demonstrating compliance with

acceptance criteria standard.

a) Specific exemptions may be specified within this

standard at any point where relevant to the Article
that they are common to.

7)

i)

ii)

iii)

8)

Prescribe specific requirements as to the

substances
and
concentrations
of
substances that may be present in or
absent from such waste within the
Kingdom;

9)

Penalty fines
a) Maximum fines that may be imposed for exceeding
the applicable standard, breach of permit and failure
to comply with an abatement notice are set out in the
General Environmental Regulations.

10)

Appeals
a) A right of appeal exists for any organisation or
individual who is required to take action as a
consequence of the implementation of the revised
standard.

c) In addition to the responsibilities conferred by

other sections contained within this standard, it shall
be the duty of a relevant party;

b) The right of appeal against conviction or sentence

is available through the appropriate judicial system as
set out in the General Environmental Regulations.

i) to give the Competent Agency all such

assistance; and

c) All appeals should be fully supported with a

documented case containing as a minimum, the
information required under the appeals process of
the General Environmental Regulations.

ii) to provide the Competent Agency with all

such information, as that may reasonably be
required for the purpose of carrying out an
investigation
11)
d) The Competent Agency or appointed individual for
the purpose of waste regulation may:
i) Enter any premises for the purpose of
carrying out any investigation.
ii) carry out such inspections, measurements
and tests on premises entered, articles or
records found on any such premises, and take
away such samples of waste or articles, as may
be considered appropriate for the purpose of
enabling such investigation; or

Enforcement

b) It is anticipated that the requirements of this

standard will be enforced nationally with inspections
taking place to verify their implementation at a
regional and local level.

iv) authorise a local Concerned Agency to

exercise any power conferred by these
regulations by paragraphs i) - iii) above.
b) The Competent Agency may, for the purposes of
this Standard, appoint persons to act on their behalf
as technical assessors and monitors in relation to the
powers and duties conferred on him by this standard
and/or its subsequent amendments.

waste

a) Failure to comply with the requirements of these

standards may lead to prosecution by the Competent
Agency and those convicted of such failure may be
subject to fines or periods of imprisonment as laid out
in the General Environmental Regulations.

prescribe specific requirements at any time

as to other characteristics of waste;
authorise such relaxations or departures
from, the waste acceptance criteria
standards
and
make
any
such
authorisation subject to the prescribed
conditions, and to modify or revoke any
such authorisation or condition; and

the

e) This standard enables the issue of regulations and

technical memoranda which are enforceable by the
Competent Agency who hold delegated authority
under the General Environmental Regulations.

Powers of Authority
a) Within the scope of these standards the
Competent Agency may:

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Periodic Review

a) As a minimum, the Competent Agency shall

undertake a periodic review of this standard every 5
years.
b) Where new information suggests that adjustments
are required to this standard, all changes will be
subject to the appropriate consultation and will be
notified to facilities by the Competent Agency.
Appropriate implementation time will be allowed.

iii) at any reasonable time require any relevant

party to supply him with copies of, or of extracts
from, any records kept for the purpose of

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Presidency of Meteorology and Environment

the waste hierarchy of minimisation, reuse, recovery

or ultimate disposal (see Material Recovery and
Recycling of Waste Standard). If disposal is the only
option, the Generator must select the disposal option
that avoids or reduces any impact on the
environment.

Article II Waste Generator Responsibilities

1)

General
a) The waste Generator is responsible for ensuring
the accuracy of the classification of waste on the
Waste Tracking Form as detailed in the Waste
Classification Standard and the Waste Regulatory
Control and Compliance Standard.

f) Where landfill is the only disposal option identified

for all or part of the waste, the Generator must
consider the appropriate treatment options:

b) Waste Generators may commission independent

sampling of waste streams or request that the landfill
facility operator verify the waste.

2)

i)

identify the landfill that may be able to

accept the treated waste; and

ii)

establish whether the waste will meet the

relevant WAC.

c) No testing is required for inert waste, other than to

demonstrate that the waste is uncontaminated and
from a single source, or for treated non-hazardous
waste.

Article III Waste Characterisation

Waste Analysis Process

1)

a) Generators must undertake a detailed audit of

their waste to establish whether the waste;
i)

is prohibited from disposal to landfill;

ii)

is hazardous and suitable for landfill in its

current condition;

iii)

is hazardous and would meet the WAC for

dedicated hazardous landfill;

iv) is hazardous and regarded as stable and

non-reactive;
v)

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will be classified as inert, appears on the

WAC lists and does not require testing;

vi) requires testing prior to being certain as to

which class of landfill it can go to; or
vii) has, or may be subject to treatment of
some sort.
b) Generators may liaise with the landfill operator to
determine what techniques or methods might be
available to reduce the hazardousness of the waste
such that it is suitable for disposal at the lowest class
of landfill possible, if not diverted from landfill
completely.
c) Develop a sampling and testing regime that gives
confidence that the waste is consistent enough for
any characterisation information obtained to be a
reliable basis for the landfill facility operator to match
the waste to the disposal route available.
d) Ensure that budgetary provision is made for
landfill gate costs and include funds for waste
sampling, testing and treatment.
e) Once the waste is characterised, the Generator
must then consider the ways in which the waste
might be managed and disposed, in accordance with

Determining the Characteristics of the Waste

a) Basic characterisation of the waste by the
Generator or anyone who undertakes operations
resulting in a change in the nature or composition of
this waste, must determine the key variables in the
waste. The final receiving treatment, storage,
disposal facility must dictate the compatibility
requirements of the waste with his disposal facility.
The TSD owner/operator has final authority over the
waste classification requirements for shipments to
his facility. These are the parameters which
determine the wastes potential for environmental
impact or harm to health and which ultimately
determine which class of landfill may receive it (see
Appendix A, Examples of Waste Characterisation
Parameters).
b) Basic characterisation assesses the variability of
the waste and determines the parameters to be
assessed by the landfill operator when carrying out
compliance checks and on-site verification of the
waste on receipt.
c) Basic characterisation constitutes a thorough
determination, according to standardised analysis
and behaviour testing methods, of the short and
long-term leaching behaviour and/ or characteristic
properties of the waste.
d) Regular waste arisings generated from the same
process can be compliance checked for a limited
number of parameters where the principle
components of the waste can be readily identified.
e) Wastes from variable processes, where the
process inputs and operational parameters are
variable, require more frequent and thorough
compliance checks than those from constant
processes.
f) All one-off arisings of waste generation must be
subject to basic characterisation when they occur.

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Presidency of Meteorology and Environment

g) Where the original Generator of the waste sends

the waste for treatment prior to landfill, the treatment
facility operator is then responsible for identifying the
characterisation of the waste if its treatment has
resulted in a change in the nature or composition of
the waste.

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b) Waste Generators and subsequent treatment

facility operators must liaise with landfill operators to
establish whether;
i)

the waste has been treated;

ii)

what treatment has been or might be

applied; or

iii)

any reason why it is considered that

treatment is not required.

Article IV Waste Treatment

1)

Waste Treatment Requirements

a) Hazardous waste destined for landfill must be
subject to prior treatment, where necessary, to meet
the WAC requirements for hazardous waste landfills
or non-hazardous landfills as stable, non-reactive
hazardous waste.

3)

Satisfying the Criteria for Waste Treatment

b) A thorough evaluation of the treatment options

must be made for non-hazardous waste but may not
be required if the treatment would not reduce its
quantity or any hazards that it poses to human health
or the environment.

a) Sorting is an acceptable process that meets the

criteria for treatment of waste as is source
segregation, so long as one of the objectives in
meeting the criteria is achieved.

c) Waste does not require treatment if it is inert

waste for which treatment is not technically feasible.
Such a decision can only be made following a
thorough evaluation of the treatment options.

b) The common treatment of sorting or segregation

will not in itself enhance recovery there must be
intent to subsequently recover part or all of the
waste. It is not acceptable to sort wastes and then
landfill all the sorted wastes.

d) Any potential treatment must fulfil two criteria;

i)

it must be a physical, thermal, chemical or

biological process including sorting; and

ii)

it must change the characteristics of the

waste.

e) Any treatment of the waste must result in one of

the following objectives being met;
i)

reduce its volume;

ii)

reduce its hazardous nature;

iii)

facilitate its handling; or

iv) enhance its recovery.

2)

c) Written information regarding treatment must be

contained on the Waste Tracking Form in the form of
the Waste Receiver Code (see Waste Regulatory
Control and Compliance Standard).

Responsibility for Compliance

a) To ensure that a suitable treatment is provided
landfill operators must liaise with waste Generators
to confirm;
i)

whether the treatment

applies to their landfill;

requirement

ii)

to establish what treatment has or might

have been applied; and

iii)

any reasons why treatment is considered

unnecessary.

c) Where Municipality waste strategies are in place

to achieve waste diversion from landfill, it is not
necessary to treat the residual municipal waste
further.
d) The characteristics of the waste are those
properties that affect its potential impact on human
health or the environment when it has been
landfilled. Hence these characteristics must be
changed in order to meet one of the objectives of the
two criteria requirements. Processes such as
compacting household waste in a refuse collection
vehicle (or elsewhere) do not change those inherent
properties of the waste and thus does not constitute
treatment.
e) To reduce the hazardous nature of a waste, one
or more hazards should be modified or reduced.
Alternatively, a waste might be moved to a lesser
class of hazard - from corrosive to irritant, or from
very toxic to toxic or harmful or from toxic to harmful or the risk of one or more hazards being realised
might be modified or reduced.
f) Some wastes that are landfilled may already be the
product of a waste treatment and in such
circumstances, it is not necessary to further treat the
residue prior to landfill.
g) Simple physical dilution, without any concurrent
chemical or physio-chemical changes, is not an
acceptable treatment process.

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Presidency of Meteorology and Environment

Article V Landfill Facility Operator Responsibilities

1)

i)

Class 1: Hazardous landfills which can

only accept waste classified as hazardous
and which meet the relevant WAC;

ii)

Class 2: Non-hazardous landfills which

may accept any waste which is not
hazardous including municipal waste and
stable, non-reactive hazardous wastes
within a separate cell (see Landfill Design
and Operation Standard);

iii)

Class 3: Inert landfills may only accept

inert wastes that meet the relevant WAC.

General Requirements
a) When treated waste is consigned to a landfill, the
landfill operator must carry out periodic compliance
checking to ensure that the waste complies with the
relevant WAC.
b) The landfill operator must subject each load to
on-site verification at the site to ensure that the
waste is as described on the Waste Tracking Form
by the Generator and that it has not been
contaminated in storage or transportation.
2)
c) If the waste fails to meet the requirements of
WAC, the waste transporter must establish with the
Generator whether to deliver the waste to an
alternate facility or return the waste to the Generator.

2)

3)

Risk Assessment
a) For all classes of landfill, a risk assessment must
be carried out by the landfill operator, taking account
of the site engineering and leachate and gas
management measures (if present), to demonstrate
that the acceptance of a waste would meet the
following criteria in both the short and long term (post
closure);

Compliance Checking
a) The landfill operator must check that any given
waste stream complies with the WAC for the
particular landfill facility receiving it for disposal.

i)

there are no unacceptable emissions to

groundwater and surface water and the
surrounding environment;

b) The operator must ensure and demonstrate that

only waste is being accepted at the landfill that
meets the conditions of the site licence.

ii)

the environmental protection systems

such as liners, leachate and gas collection
and treatment systems at the site are not
jeopardised;

iii)

waste-stabilisation processes such as

degradation or wash out within the landfill
are protected; and

On-Site Verification
a) The landfill operator must visually inspect every
load of waste delivered to the facility. Where
practicable, this must be done when a load is
uncovered and before it has been unloaded for
disposal.

iv) there is no unacceptable risk to human

health.
b) The risk assessment may make it necessary for a
particular site to have additional limits to the full WAC
due to;

b) The landfill operator must check the

documentation accompanying the waste. If the waste
does not match the description in the Waste Tracking
Form, the waste must not be accepted at the site.
c) In cases where the variation with the
documentation cannot be detected by a visual
inspection of the waste, it may be necessary to carry
out tests for the variability, such as a pH test or a
leaching test, in a dedicated isolation area at the
Generators expense. If it is not possible to test the
waste, it must be taken to a landfill facility that can
accept the suspected variability of the waste, at the
Generators expense.

Article VI Landfill Facilities

1)

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3)

Classes of Landfills
a) Classes of landfills are divided into three
categories:

i)

the environmental context of the landfill

may be more sensitive than that used for
modelling the WAC;

ii)

the lining and leachate collection systems

perform differently from those used for
modelling the full WAC; and

iii)

the waste may have

covered by the full WAC.

attributes

not

Wastes Prohibited From Landfills

a) Any waste in liquid form (as defined in the Waste
Classification Standard). A waste that flows slowly
rather than near instantaneously into an indentation
void is sludge and therefore not prohibited.
b) Wastes which are, in the conditions of landfill,
explosive, corrosive, oxidising, highly flammable or

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flammable (as defined in the Waste Classification

Standard).

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Arsenic
Barium
Cadmium
Chromium total
Copper
Mercury
Molybdenum
Nickel
Lead
Antimony
Selenium
Zinc
Chloride
Fluoride
Sulphate
TDS*
DOC**

c) Hospital and other clinical wastes from medical or

veterinary establishments, which are infectious.
d) Chemical substances arising from research and
development or teaching activities which are not
identified and/or are new and whose effects on man
and/or the environment are not known (for example,
laboratory residues).
e) Whole used tyres, excluding those used as
engineering material, and shredded used tyres
(excluding in both instances bicycle tyres and those
with an outside diameter above 1,400 mm);
f) Untreated waste (subject to exceptions detailed in
these provisions).

25
300
1
70
100
0.4
30
40
50
5
7
200
25,000
500
50,000
100,000
1,000

* The values for TDS (Total Dissolved Solids) can be

used alternatively to the values for non-dissolved
Sulphate and Chloride.
Article VII Hazardous Waste Landfills

1)

** If the waste does not meet these values for

dissolved organic carbon (DOC) at its own pH, it may
alternatively be tested at L:S = 10 l/kg and a pH of
7.5 8.0. The waste may be considered as
complying with the acceptance criteria for DOC, if the
result of this determination does not exceed 1000
mg/kg.

Hazardous Waste Criteria

a) Hazardous landfills must not accept waste
categorised as non-hazardous.
b) Suitable inert wastes may be used for hazardous
landfills for redevelopment or restoration and filling-in
work, or for construction purposes. Inert waste may
also be used for daily cover and for engineering
purposes.
c) Some hazardous wastes will be unacceptable for
disposal at a hazardous landfill if the waste has total
contents or may leach potentially hazardous
components that are high enough to;
i)

constitute a short-term occupational risk;

ii)

constitute an environmental risk; or

iii)

prevent waste stabilisation within the

projected lifetime of the landfill.

d) WAC for hazardous waste consists of numerical

limits for leachable substances and organic content
along with standards for physical stability. Hazardous
wastes need to be tested against these parameters.

2)

Leaching Limit Values

a) The leaching limit values in Table 1 apply for
waste acceptable at landfills for hazardous waste,
calculated at a liquid to solid ratio (L:S) of 10 l/kg for
total release.

3)

Additional Limit Values

a) In addition to the leaching limit values in Table 1
above, hazardous wastes must meet the limit values
shown in Table 2. These additional limit values
ensure that these factors do not cause leaching to
increase from wastes that otherwise meet the
leaching limit values.
Table 2: Additional Limit Values for the
Acceptance of Wastes in Hazardous Landfills
Parameter
LOI*
TOC
ANC (acid
neutralisation
capacity)

Values
10%
6%**
Must be evaluated between
the pH of the waste in
question, at pH6 and the pH of
the site leachate

* Either Loss on Ignition (LOI) or Total Organic

Carbon (TOC) must be used which is up to the
discretion of the Generator and TSD facility
operators.
** If this value is not achieved, a higher limit value
may be permitted by the Competent Agency,
provided that the DOC value of 1000 mg/kg is
achieved at L:S10 at its own pH or pH7.5 8.0.

Table 1: Leaching Limit Values for the

Acceptance of Wastes in Hazardous Landfills
Components

L:S = 10 l/kg

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d) These limits also apply to non-hazardous waste

accepted in the same cell as stable, non-reactive
hazardous waste and which must not therefore be
capable of biodegrading.

Article VIII Non-Hazardous Waste Landfills

1)

General Requirements
a) Hazardous waste must not be sent to nonhazardous or inert landfill facilities.

Table 3: Leaching Limit Values for the

Acceptance of Hazardous Wastes in Landfills for
Non-Hazardous Waste
Components
Arsenic
Barium
Cadmium
Chromium total
Copper
Mercury
Molybdenum
Nickel
Lead
Antimony
Selenium
Zinc
Chloride
Fluoride
Sulphate
TDS*
DOC**

b) Non-hazardous waste deposited in non-hazardous

landfills is not subject to numerical WAC limits.
c) Control over non-hazardous waste acceptance at
landfill is through licence conditions determined on
the basis of site specific risk assessments.

2)

Municipal Waste
a) Municipal waste can be accepted at landfills for
non-hazardous waste. The production and handling
of the waste must not result in it changing its
characteristics, for example, by mixing with other
materials or by producing a segregated hazardous
fraction, such as to require reclassification as other
than municipal waste.

3)

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L:S = 10 l/kg
2
100
0.1
10
50
0.02
10
10
10
0.7
0.5
50
15,000
150
20,000
60,000
800

* The values for TDS (Total Dissolved Solids) can be

used alternatively to the values for non- dissolved
Sulphate and Chloride.

Stable, Non-Reactive Hazardous Waste

a) Hazardous waste may be accepted at nonhazardous landfills provided that;
i)

it is stable, non-reactive hazardous waste;

ii)

its leaching behaviour is equivalent to that

of non-hazardous wastes which meet the
relevant WAC; or

iii)

it is not deposited in cells used, or

intended to be used, for the disposal of
biodegradable non-hazardous wastes.

b) For hazardous waste to be stable and nonreactive the leaching behaviour of the waste must
not change adversely in the long-term under the
landfill design conditions or accidents;
i)

in the waste alone (for example, by

biodegradation);

ii)

under the impact of long-term ambient

conditions (for example, water, air,
temperature or mechanical constraints);
or

iii)

by the impact of other wastes (including

waste products such as leachate and
gas).

c) The wastes must meet the leaching limit values

provided in Table 3, calculated at a liquid to solid
ratio (L:S) of 10 l/kg for total release.

** If the waste does not meet these values for

dissolved organic carbon (DOC) at its own pH, it may
alternatively be tested at L:S = 10 l/kg and a pH of
7.5 8.0. The waste may be considered as
complying with the acceptance criteria for DOC, if the
result of this determination does not exceed 800
mg/kg.
e) Wastes which are candidates for this disposal
option, and any non-hazardous wastes deposited in
the same cell, must also meet the limit values in
Table 4, which assist in evaluating whether the waste
is stable and non-reactive.

Table 4: Additional Limit Values for the

Acceptance of Hazardous wastes in Landfills for
Non-Hazardous Waste
Parameter
TOC
pH
Acid
Neutralisation
Capacity

Value
5%*
Minimum 6
Must be
evaluated
between the pH
of the waste in
question, pH6
and the ph of
the site
leachate

* If this value is not achieved, a higher limit value

may be permitted by the Competent Agency,

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KSA

Presidency of Meteorology and Environment

vii) details shall be provided to the landowner

so that appropriate measures can be
taken to limit the possible uses of the land
after closure of the landfill in order to
avoid human contact with the waste.

provided that the Dissolved Organic Carbon (DOC)

value of 800 mg/kg is achieved or at a pH between
7.5 8.0.

4)

PME Reference

Asbestos Waste
c) Wastes that contain asbestos but which are also
hazardous by virtue of other components can only be
sent for disposal in hazardous landfills appropriate to
both the asbestos and the other hazards.

a) Construction materials containing asbestos and

other suitable asbestos waste may be accepted at
non-hazardous landfills, without testing.
b) For non-hazardous landfills receiving construction
materials containing asbestos and other suitable
asbestos waste the following requirements must be
fulfilled;
i)

the waste shall contain no other

hazardous substances than bound
asbestos, including fibres bound by a
binding agent or packed in plastic;

ii)

construction material containing asbestos

or other suitable asbestos waste can only
be accepted in a landfill dedicated to
these wastes or in a separate cell of a
non-dedicated non-hazardous landfill, if
the cell is sufficiently self-contained;

iii)

in order to avoid dispersion of fibres, the

zone of deposit must be covered daily
with appropriate material and, if the waste
is not packed, must be regularly sprinkled.
It must be:

Article IX Inert Waste Landfills

1)

a) WAC for inert waste consists of specific wastes

that can be accepted without testing along with a list
of numerical limits.
b) Wastes exceeding these levels can still be
accepted at non-hazardous or hazardous landfills
depending on the level of contamination.

2)

Covered immediately to a depth of

at least 250mm;

Covered by the end of the working

day to a depth of at least one
metre on all flanks and surfaces;

Final cover must be not less than

two metres of suitable material,
before
placement
of
the
restoration material;
For all these purposes, suitable
material must be used, comprising
incombustible, granular material
free from any objects capable of
disrupting the waste or any
packing;

iv) a final top cover shall be placed on the

landfill or cell in order to avoid the
dispersion of fibres;
v)

no works shall be carried out on the

landfill or cell that could lead to a release
of fibres (for example, drilling of holes);

vi) a plan shall be kept of the location of

deposits of asbestos waste. The plan
shall be kept available after closure; and

General Requirements

Wastes Acceptable at Landfills for Inert Waste

without Testing
a) Wastes listed in Table 5 can be admitted without
testing at a landfill for inert waste. The waste must be
a single stream and single source material.
b) Different wastes contained in the list may be
accepted together, provided they are from the same
source.
c) In case of suspicion of contamination (either
visual or from knowledge of the origin of the waste)
testing must be applied or the waste refused.
d) If the listed wastes are contaminated or contain
other material or substances such as metals,
asbestos, plastics, or chemicals to an extent which
increases the risk associated with the waste
sufficiently to justify their disposal in other classes of
landfills, they may not be accepted in a landfill for
inert waste.
e) If there is any doubt that the waste fulfils the
definition of inert waste or about the lack of
contamination of the waste, testing must be applied.
f) Any waste load containing only a material on the
list, or a mixture of them, is deemed inert for the
purpose of disposal to an inert landfill facility.
Table 5: Listed inert wastes
Description
Waste glass based
fibrous materials
Glass packaging
Concrete
Bricks

Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Restrictions
Only without organic
binders

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KSA

Presidency of Meteorology and Environment

Tiles and ceramics

Mixtures of concrete,
bricks, tiles and
ceramics
Glass
Sand, soil, stones
and clays
Glass
Glass
Soil and stones

PME Reference

may alternatively be tested at L:S = 10 l/kg and a pH

between 7.5 and 8.0. The waste may be considered
as complying with the acceptance criteria for DOC, if
the result of this determination does not exceed 500
mg/kg.
Excluding topsoil, peat;
excluding soil and stones
from contaminated sites

c) In addition to the leaching limit values above, inert

wastes must meet the additional limit values
provided in Table 7.

Separately collected glass

only
Only from garden and
parks; excluding top soil,
peat

Table 7: Additional Limit Values for Landfills for

Inert Waste

Parameter

3)

TOC
BTEX
PCBs (7 congeners)
Mineral oil (C10 to
C40)
Polycyclic aromatic
hydrocarbons (total
of 17)

Wastes Acceptable at Landfills for Inert Wastes

only with Testing
a) If there is uncertainty whether the waste fulfils the
definition of inert waste, or is uncontaminated, the
waste must be tested.
b) The waste must not exceed the limit values
provided in Table 6, for leaching at the given liquid to
solid ratio, or Table 7, for the total content of organic
parameters, for the waste to be accepted at an inert
landfill facility.

L:S = 10 l/kg
0.5
20
0.04
0.5
2
0.01
0.5
0.5
0.5
0.06
0.01
4
800
10
1,000
4,000
1
500

100

* In the case of soils a higher limit value may be

admitted by the Competent Agency, provided
the Dissolved Organic Carbon value of 500
mg/kg is achieved at L:S 10 l/kg at the pH of the
soil or at a pH of between 7.5 and 8.0.

Table 6: Leaching Limit Values for Landfills for

Inert Waste
Components
Arsenic
Barium
Cadmium
Chromium total
Copper
Mercury
Molybdenum
Nickel
Lead
Antimony
Selenium
Zinc
Chloride
Fluoride
Sulphate
TDS*
DOC**
DOC***

Value
mg/kg
30000*
6
1
(C10 to C40) 500

Article X Underground Storage

1)

General Requirements
a) The same wastes as those prohibited for disposal
in landfill facilities are prohibited for disposal in
underground storage facilities.
b) In addition, other wastes prohibited
underground storage facilities include:
i)

* If the waste does not meet these values for

sulphate, it may still be considered as complying with
the acceptance criteria if the leaching does not
exceed either of the following values: 1,500 mg/l at
L:S = 0.1 l/kg.
** The values for TDS (Total Dissolved Solids) can
be used alternatively to the values for Sulphate and
Chloride.
*** If the waste does not meet these values for DOC
(Dissolved Organic Carbon) at its own pH value, it

Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

i)

from

Wastes and their containers which may

react with water or with the host rock
under the storage conditions and lead to:

A change in the volume;

Generation of auto-flammable or
toxic or explosive substances or
gases;

Any other reactions which could

endanger the operational safety
and/or the integrity of the barrier;

Wastes which may react with each other

must be defined and classified in
groups of compatibility. The different
groups of compatibility must be
physically separated in the storage;

Page 10 of 14

KSA

Presidency of Meteorology and Environment

ii)

Biodegradable wastes;

iii)

Wastes that have a pungent smell;

PME Reference

iv) Wastes that can generate a gas-air

mixture which is toxic or explosive,
especially wastes:

That
cause
toxic
gas
concentrations due to the partial
pressures of their components;

That form concentrations when

saturated within a container,
which are higher than 10% of
the
concentration
which
corresponds to the lower
explosive limit;

With insufficient stability to

correspond
to
the
geomechanical conditions;

That are auto-flammable or

liable
to
spontaneous
combustion under the storage
conditions, such as gaseous
products, volatile wastes, and
wastes coming from collections
in the form of unidentified
mixtures;

That contain or could generate

pathogenic
germs
of
communicable diseases.

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Appendix A
Examples of Waste Characterisation Parameters
WASTE
MANAGEMENT
UNIT
Containers

WASTE PARAMETER

pH
Flash point
Total and amenable
cyanide/sulfide
Appropriate hazardous
component

Tanks

pH

Flash point

Storage Pools

RATIONALE FOR CHARACTERISATION

L, Sl

Identify wastes that may compromise

container structural integrity
Identify appropriate storage conditions (e.g.,
out of direct sunlight)
Identify potential reactivity and relevant
health and safety precautions
Identify constituent(s) for compliance with
the licence limits and for safe handling of the
waste
Identify wastes that may compromise
structural integrity of tanks and ancillary
equipment
Determine applicable requirements to treat,
deactivate or separately manage ignitable
wastes to ensure compliance
Identify wastes with potential to corrode
tanks and ancillary equipment
Identify potential reactivity and relevant
health and safety precautions
Identify potential reactivity and requirements
to treat, deactivate or separately manage
reactive wastes to ensure compliance
Identify component for compliance with the
licence and for safe handling of the waste
Identify wastes that may degrade unit
structures or systems
Identify wastes that may not be readily
amenable to pumping or unit conveyance
systems
Determine applicable requirements to treat
or deactivate ignitable wastes to ensure
compliance
Identify potential reactivity and requirements
to treat or deactivate reactive wastes to
ensure compliance
Identify potential reactivity and relevant
health and safety precautions
Identify wastes that may degrade
liners/geotextile integrity
Identify wastes that may degrade
polypropylene geotextiles
Identify wastes that may permeate or
degrade synthetic liner materials
Identify component for compliance with the
licence limits and for safe handling of the
waste
Identify wastes that may corrode unit
components
Identify potential reactivity and relevant
health and safety considerations
Identify potential reactivity and requirements
to treat or deactivate reactive wastes to
ensure compliance
Identify wastes that may degrade
polyvinylchloride (PVC) unit components

L
L, Sl, So
L, Sl, So

L, Sl

Halogens

L, Sl, So

Total and amenable

cyanide/sulfide
Oxidising potential

L, Sl, So

Appropriate hazardous
component
pH

L, Sl, So

Total suspended solids

L, Sl

Flashpoint

Waste Piles

PHYSICAL FORM OF
THE WASTE

L, Sl, So

L, Sl

Oxidising potential

L, Sl, So

Total and amenable

cyanide/sulfide
Total chlorine

L, Sl, So

Total petroleum
hydrocarbons
Liner compatibility tests

L, Sl, So

Appropriate hazardous
component

L, Sl, So

pH

L, Sl, So

L, Sl, So

L, Sl

Total amenable
cyanide/sulfide
Oxidising potential

L, Sl, So
L, Sl, So

Ketones

L, Sl, So

KSA

Treatment Units

Landfills

Presidency of Meteorology and Environment

Liner compatibility tests

L, Sl, So

Appropriate hazardous
component
pH

L, Sl, So

Total metals

L, Sl, So

Total and amenable

cyanide/sulfide
Electrical conductivity

L, Sl, So

Appropriate hazardous
component

L, Sl, So

Free liquid content

L, Sl, So

pH

L, Sl

L, Sl

L, Sl

Total chlorine

L, Sl, So

Total nitrogen

L, Sl, So

Liner compatibility tests

L, Sl, So

Chemical compatibility
evaluations
Appropriate hazardous
component

L, Sl, So
L, Sl, So

PME Reference

(PVC integrity is degraded at ketone

concentrations above 30,000 ppm)
Identify wastes that may permeate or
degrade synthetic liner materials
Identify component for compliance with the
licence limits and for safe handling of waste
Identify wastes that may require pretreatment to ensure optimum effectiveness
of land treatment process
Quantify metal concentrations to ensure that
rates of application do not exceed limits
Identify potential reactivity and relevant
health and safety considerations
Determine treatment performance effects
from electrical conductivity
Identify components for compliance with the
licence limits and for safe handling of the
waste
Identify the presence/ absence of free liquids
to ensure compliance
Identify wastes that are not allowed to enter
a landfill
Identify wastes that may degrade the
integrity of chlorosulfonated polyethylene
landfill liners
Identify wastes that may compromise
chlorosulfonated polyethylene liners
Identify potential reactivity and relevant
health and safety precautions
Identify potential incompatibililties
Identify component for compliance with the
licence limits and for safe handling of the
waste

L = Liquid
Sl = Sludge
So = Solid

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