Fluorend / Sectors / Airports & aviation
Airports & aviationAirport foam disposal
Planning an RFFS or hangar foam changeover, or clearing out legacy stock? We take the foam concentrate, the system flushings and the contaminated PPE off your hands, and see it destroyed by high-temperature incineration in the UK. Collection, paperwork and certificate of destruction through one company.
2 sec
What we take
Why it matters now
- 5 Jul 2025In force
PFOA foam use banned. Using firefighting foams that contain PFOA, and systems contaminated with them, has been banned since 5 July 2025 under the UK POPs regulation. Old PFOA foam can't be used, so it is waste, and the PFOA in it must be destroyed.
Source: Environment Agency: Using persistent organic pollutants (POPs), updated 26 Jan 2026; UK POPs Regulation (EU) 2019/1021 as it applies in the UK
- 7 Sep 2026In force · England
RPS 376: storing PFOA foam waste. The Environment Agency now lets producers store PFOA foam waste while it awaits high-temperature incineration, if they meet its conditions. These include secondary containment for liquids, emailing the EA before relying on it, and sending the EA written confirmation that an appropriately permitted site will accept the waste. It covers concentrates, mixtures and flushings, plus PPE, absorbents, containers and equipment that haven't been decontaminated. The EA says UK high-temperature incineration plants are currently working at capacity for these wastes, and that they are not allowed to be exported for disposal. Review due by 5 July 2027.
- Jun 2026Proposal
UK foam restriction proposed, not yet law. HSE's Agency Opinion concludes that restricting PFAS in firefighting foams is appropriate, with transition periods set by sector. It proposes 5 years for civil aviation sites. Sectors with transitions of 5 years or more would need a site-specific PFAS-containing firefighting foams management plan, from a year after any restriction enters into force. The socio-economic consultation closed on 7 September 2026. Defra's decision is expected in 2027. Until then, non-PFOA fluorinated foams are not banned in Great Britain.
Source: HSE: UK REACH restriction on PFAS in firefighting foam (consultation and Agency Opinion, June 2026); Defra: PFAS Plan, updated 17 Aug 2026
- Mar 2025Guidance
Your water company may ask about foam. The Drinking Water Inspectorate's PFAS guidance lists liaison with airports and airfields as part of water companies' PFAS risk assessments.
Source: Drinking Water Inspectorate: Guidance specific to PFAS in drinking water, v1.1, March 2025 (PDF)
- Oct 2025EU / NI
The EU has its own foam rules. Commission Regulation (EU) 2025/1988 restricts PFAS in firefighting foams in the EU, with longer transitions for some uses. HSE notes that EU REACH continues to apply in Northern Ireland. If you have airports in Northern Ireland, check how it applies to you.
Source: Commission Regulation (EU) 2025/1988 of 2 October 2025 (EUR-Lex); HSE: About REACH (EU REACH continues to apply in Northern Ireland)
Rules last checked 30 October 2026. Proposals can change before they become law. Outside England, rules differ: tell us your site postcode.
How it works
Questions
When will airports have to stop using fluorinated foam?
PFOA foams are already banned, since 5 July 2025. For other PFAS foams, HSE has proposed 5 years for civil aviation sites from when a restriction enters into force. That is still a proposal; Defra's decision is expected in 2027.
Source: Environment Agency: Using persistent organic pollutants (POPs), updated 26 Jan 2026; HSE: UK REACH restriction on PFAS in firefighting foam (consultation and Agency Opinion, June 2026); Defra: PFAS Plan, updated 17 Aug 2026
Will we need a foam management plan?
Under HSE's proposal, sectors with transitions of 5 years or more, including civil aviation, would need a PFAS-containing firefighting foams management plan for each site, starting a year after any restriction enters into force.
Source: HSE: UK REACH restriction on PFAS in firefighting foam (consultation and Agency Opinion, June 2026)
Do we need to keep the flushings from a hangar changeover?
Yes. Flushings from decontaminating a system that held PFOA foam are PFOA foam waste. RPS 376 lists "foam concentrates, mixtures and flushings from fire suppression system decontamination". Keep them separate and send them for destruction with the concentrate.
Why is our water company asking about our foam?
DWI guidance tells water companies to liaise with airports and airfields as part of their PFAS risk assessments.
Source: Drinking Water Inspectorate: Guidance specific to PFAS in drinking water, v1.1, March 2025 (PDF)
More answers on the PFAS waste FAQ.
Get it off site
Tell us the waste type, quantity and site postcode. We check it for acceptance and send a fixed, all-in quote within 2 working days. Small lots welcome.