Residential excavation of Japanese Knotweed is quicker than herbicide but is not always possible. This would depend upon access to the infected area and boundary fences. We will advise whether herbicide treatment or excavation is most appropriate for you.
Minimising excavation
Because knotweed roots can spread under the surface, knotweed eradication by excavation can mean removing a lot of affected ground. We try to minimise this by firstly identifying the roots in the ground and excavating only the relevant areas. This can minimise the amount of waste removed by up to two-thirds.
This can save money if the waste goes to landfill or if it is buried of on your site, less waste means less space is needed for the burial.
Disposal options
Japanese Knotweed waste is classed as “controlled waste” and must be disposed of in line with the Duty of Care Regulations 1991 under the Environmental Protection Act 1990.
This means that excavated knotweed waste must either be sent to landfill or buried on site, in a safe and controlled manner.
Landfill
The Environment Agency’s ‘Knotweed Code of Practice 2013’, requires quantities of knotweed waste removed to landfill to be substantially reduced.
Sending waste to landfill is the more expensive and less sustainable option but it may be necessary if you don’t have room to bury the waste on your site or if the ground is contaminated with other harmful substances that would need to be disposed of at a specially licensed landfill.
Burial
Under the ‘Knotweed Code of Practice 2013’, Japanese Knotweed waste can be buried on the same site it was excavated from if you have sufficient space. To read more about this method, see the Dig and Cell Burial page.
