What is low level waste (LLW)?
Low level waste contains low levels of radioactivity. There are two types of LLW: operational and decommissioning. Operational LLW, such as plastic, paper and metal, mainly arises from monitoring and maintenance. Decommissioned LLW is mainly soil, building materials, equipment and metals from the site plant. Most low level waste arises during: • the operation of nuclear power stations • nuclear fuel production • reprocessing facilities • the decommissioning and clean-up of nuclear sites Although it is predicted that around 90% of the UK’s future radioactive waste material will be made up of low level waste, the actual level of radioactivity will be less than 0.00003%.* * The Radioactive Waste Inventory, DEFRA/RAS/05.002, 2004 & NIREX Report N/090, October 2005.
