Any operation the principal result of which is waste serving a useful purpose by replacing other materials which would otherwise have been used to fulfil a particular function, or waste being prepared to fulfil that function, in the plant or in the wider economy.

The recovery operations is one of the following processes:

R 1 Use principally as a fuel or other means to generate energy

R 2 Solvent reclamation/regeneration

R 3 Recycling/reclamation of organic substances which are not used as solvents (including composting and other biological transformation processes)

R 4 Recycling/reclamation of metals and metal compounds

R 5 Recycling/reclamation of other inorganic materials

R 6 Regeneration of acids or bases

R 7 Recovery of components used for pollution abatement

R 8 Recovery of components from catalysts

R 9 Oil re-refining or other reuses of oil

R 10 Land treatment resulting in benefit to agriculture or ecological improvement

R 11 Use of waste obtained from any of the operations numbered R 1 to R 10

R 12 Exchange of waste for submission to any of the operations numbered R 1 to R 11

R 13 Storage of waste pending any of the operations numbered R 1 to R 12 (excluding temporary storage, pending collection, on the site where the waste is produced)

• Act of 14 December 2012 on waste
  Place of publication: (Dz. U. z 2023 r. poz. 1587, z późn. zm.)