Solid Waste

Regulating facilities that manage solid waste and promoting best practices that protect human health and the environment

New Hampshire’s Solid Waste Management Act (RSA 149-M) generally defines "solid waste" as any abandoned or discarded material, including:

Household trash.
Recyclables (aluminum, cardboard, glass, paper, plastic, etc.)
Food waste.
Construction and demolition debris.
Electronic waste.
Infectious waste (sharps and certain medical waste).
Animal carcasses.
End-of-life motor vehicles.
Non-hazardous contaminated soils.
Asbestos waste.
Commercial and industrial waste.

Solid waste excludes:

Yard waste (leaves, grass, garden debris, small branches/brush).
Hazardous waste.
Sludge and septage.
Nuclear waste.
Certain types of point source discharges.
Post-use polymers and recovered feedstocks converted at an advanced recycling facility.

NHDES’ Solid Waste Management Bureau (SWMB) regulates the facilities and practices associated with the collection, processing, treatment, recycling, re-use and disposal of solid waste in New Hampshire through a combination of facility permitting, training, data management and compliance programs. The SWMB also provides solid waste planning and technical assistance for regulated facilities, municipalities, businesses and the public.

Types of Regulated Facilities

Permitting Options

Compliance and Reporting

Waste Reduction and Diversion

Managing Waste at Permitted Facilities

Managing My Waste at Home

Solid Waste Rules Readopted

Most of the New Hampshire Solid Waste Management administrative rules have recently undergone revision and readoption. To view all current Solid Waste Management Bureau rules, please visit the NHDES Administrative Rules webpage.

If you have specific questions about solid waste rules, please email us at swmbrules@des.nh.gov.

For more information on the process of formal rulemaking, please visit the NHDES Rulemaking and Enforcement webpage.

Document Submittal

The SWMB requires all submittals to be made electronically either via NHDES' OneStop Data Provider portal or email. If the only means of submittal is on paper, a single paper copy is required. Review the Waste Management Division Submittal Requirements and complete a Report Cover Sheet prior to making an electronic submittal. If submittals are made in paper only, submit to:

NH Department of Environmental Services

Waste Management Division, Solid Waste Management Bureau

PO Box 95, 29 Hazen Drive

Concord, NH 03302-0095

Document Review

All public documents received and sent by the SWMB on or after January 1, 2018, are routinely made available for viewing by the public on NHDES' OneStop database, typically within a few days of receipt. Documents received or sent by the SWMB prior to January 1, 2018, are available for review by request directed to the NHDES Public Information Center (603-271-2919; filereview@des.nh.gov).