Ammunition disposal and waste
Case reference FOI2025/02416
Received 10 December 2025
Published 5 January 2026
Request
If you require any further clarification or information please do not hesitate to contact me.
Freedom of Information request: Unitary Authority Procedures for Ammunition Disposal and Regulation
This FOI is intended to clarify the processes, points of contact, and public information provided by the County Council regarding the safe and legal disposal of ammunition within its jurisdiction.
1. What legislation is used to regulate and enforce the disposal of ammunition?
2. Which specific body is responsible for the actual disposal of live ammunition?
3. What methods are available for the disposal of live, out of date or misfired ammunition?
4. What methods are available for the disposal of spent ammunition (such as metal casings and shotgun cartridges)?
5. Have there been any incidents in the last 5 years where live, out of date or misfired ammunition have been found or taken to waste facilities for disposal?
6. Have there been any incidents in the last 5 years where spent shotgun cartridges have been found or taken to waste facilities for disposal?
7. Do you have capacity to dispose of live ammunition?
8. If not and it was brought to a waste facility you manage, how would you arrange its disposal?
9. Do you have capacity to dispose of spent and fired ammunition?
10. If not and it was brought to a waste facility you manage, how would you arrange its disposal?
11. Do you have capacity to dispose of spent shotgun cartridges?
12. If not and it was brought to a waste facility you manage, how would you arrange its disposal?
13. Can members of the public recycle spent shotgun cartridges at your recycling facilities?
14. Can members of the public recycle spent ammunition at your waste and recycling facilities - such as lead or brass shell casings?
15. Are there designated drop-off points where small quantities of ammunition can be safely surrendered in your area?
16. Have you received any complaints or enquiries in the last 5 years regarding ammunition disposal?
17. Are you aware the Environment Agency advises that small quantities of shotgun cartridges can be disposed of via domestic general waste? Do you know what these quantities are?
18. Any other comments on ammunition disposal and potential impact on waste in your area?
Response
If you require any further clarification or information please do not hesitate to contact me.
Freedom of Information request: Unitary Authority Procedures for Ammunition Disposal and Regulation
This FOI is intended to clarify the processes, points of contact, and public information provided by the County Council regarding the safe and legal disposal of ammunition within its jurisdiction.
1. What legislation is used to regulate and enforce the disposal of ammunition?
Answer: The Service Area have advised they would refer to the following relevant legislation:
· Firearms Act 1968 (Section 52)
· Environmental Protection Act/Waste Regulations
· Waste Framework Directive
2. Which specific body is responsible for the actual disposal of live ammunition?
Answer: The Police are the specific body responsible for the actual disposal of live ammunition.
3. What methods are available for the disposal of live, out of date or misfired ammunition?
Answer: The Service Area have advised we do not accept ammunition and advise the public to contact the police.
4. What methods are available for the disposal of spent ammunition (such as metal casings and shotgun cartridges)?
Answer: The Service Area have advised, if it’s obvious that the ammunition was spent, then it could be disposed of at the Hereford Recycling Centre; metal casings could go in scrap, cartridges in general waste. If we’re unsure, the ammunition would be treated as live ammunition and the police would be contacted.
5. Have there been any incidents in the last 5 years where live, out of date or misfired ammunition have been found or taken to waste facilities for disposal?
Answer: Please see the response to Q6 below.
6. Have there been any incidents in the last 5 years where spent shotgun cartridges have been found or taken to waste facilities for disposal?
Answer: The Service Area have advised there have been 3 incidents in the last 5 years:
x1 in Leominster Household Recycling Centre in January 2021
x1 in Bromyard Household Recycling Centre in February 2022
x1 at EnviroSort in December 2025
7. Do you have capacity to dispose of live ammunition?
Answer: No.
8. If not and it was brought to a waste facility you manage, how would you arrange its disposal?
Answer: The Service Area have advised we would reject the items if a member of public asks and inform them to contact the police. If ammunition were found in waste, we would keep it in chemsafe or quarantine container and call the police who will collect it.
9. Do you have capacity to dispose of spent and fired ammunition?
Answer: Please see the response to Q4 above.
10. If not and it was brought to a waste facility you manage, how would you arrange its disposal?
Answer: Please see the response to Q8 above.
11. Do you have capacity to dispose of spent shotgun cartridges?
Answer: Please see the response to Q4 above.
12. If not and it was brought to a waste facility you manage, how would you arrange its disposal?
Answer: Please see the response to Q8 above.
13. Can members of the public recycle spent shotgun cartridges at your recycling facilities?
Answer: No.
14. Can members of the public recycle spent ammunition at your waste and recycling facilities - such as lead or brass shell casings?
Answer: Please see the response to Q4 above.
15. Are there designated drop-off points where small quantities of ammunition can be safely surrendered in your area?
Answer: There Service Area have advised they are not aware of any designated drop-off points.
16. Have you received any complaints or enquiries in the last 5 years regarding ammunition disposal?
Answer: No.
17. Are you aware the Environment Agency advises that small quantities of shotgun cartridges can be disposed of via domestic general waste? Do you know what these quantities are?
Answer: The Service Area have advised, as per the British Association for Shooting and Conservation (BASC) website : No official policy exists to define the limits of ‘small quantities’, however the EA suggests anything up to 100 cartridges is reasonable.
18. Any other comments on ammunition disposal and potential impact on waste in your area?
Answer: No.
Documents
This is Herefordshire Council's response to a freedom of information (FOI) or environmental information regulations (EIR) request.
You can browse our other responses or make a new FOI request.