Gate Fee
When Residual Waste or any other form of collected waste or recyclables are taken to a facility for Treatment or Disposal i.e. MRF, IVC, AD, EfW and Landfill there is a transaction between the holder/collector of the waste and the operator of the facility/site.
The collector/holder of the waste typically pays to the facility an amount per tonne measured at the point of receipt at the site, commonly referred to as the Gate Fee, which is generally based on a rate per tonne.
Overview
In the case of Residual Waste or Disposal, generally, there is payment from the holder of the waste to the operator of the site.
In the case of Treatment or Recycling the gate fee may acknowledge the value of the material being recovered which could be via a payment to the holder of the waste by the operator, or more commonly a payment made by the holder of the waste to the operator with a rebate reflecting the value of the material according to the quality and mix of materials delivered and the contamination levels presented - which may lead to a net income of cost to the holder of the waste.
In the case of Disposal to Landfill, Landfill Tax is applied in addition to the Landfill Gate Fee set by the operator of the Landfill.
Gate fees generally are a reflection of cost and desired profit for a site operator and the competition in the market for simialr services/facilties but also reflect the security that a supply might bring to a site operator over a short, medium or long term contract.
Publicly Available Gate Fee Information
Letsrecycle
Published monthly high and low range gate fees for:
- Windrow Compost
- In Vessel Compost
- Anaerobic Digestion
Historical reporting of RDF Export, EfW Gate Fees and Landfill Gate Fees have ceased.
WRAP
Published annual reports based on surveys of local authorities with median, mode and range prices for:
- MRFs
- Composting (IVC)
- AD
- EFW
Example of WRAP Gate Fee Data (processed)
Notes
- The graph to the left is a composite of annual reports by WRAP, undertaken by Monksleigh
- It is for EfW gate fees (excluding transport)
- These gate fees vary regionally according to supply/demand and vary according to contract duration and the age of the EfW facility
- The figure "n" is reflective of the number of survey respondants in the year
- The horizontal bar is the median result
Gate Fee Reporting
The latest WRAP report for 2024/25 is summarised below excluding haulage/transport costs [1]. Greater detail is available in the report on MRF streams and regional variations in gate fees.
Treatment | Material / Type of Facility / Grade | Median | Mean | Range[2] | No. of Gate Fees Reported (n) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
MRF | All (Gross) | £82 | £84 | £39 to 162 | 109 |
All (Net) | £42 | £41 | -£17 to 126 | 99 | |
In-Vessel Composting (IVC) | Mixed Food & Green | £73 | £73 | £44 to 83 | 34 |
Food only | £72 | £72 | £62 to 75 | 9 | |
Anaerobic Digestion (AD) | Food Waste | £24 | £26 | -£42 to 78 | 85 |
Energy from Waste (EfW)[3] | Residual waste mixed with bulky contaiing POPS | £121 | £126 | £62 to 208 | 40 |
Residual waste excluding bulky contaiing POPS | £121 | £117 | £69 to 158 | 29 |
References:
- WRAP UK Gate Fee Report 2024-25
- Range lists simply the range between the maximum and minimum data points in the survey data collected.
- Includes incineration with and without energy recovery
