Straight questions
The regime is statutory and the details matter. Short answers below; if yours isn't here, ask: hello@exchangeearth.com.
Compliance
Is moving soil as a by-product legal?
Yes. Article 27 of the European Union (Waste Directive) Regulations (S.I. 323/2020) is the statutory by-product regime, and the EPA's national criteria for greenfield soil and stone (BP-N002/2024, July 2024) define exactly how qualifying material is registered and moved. Material that meets the criteria is a by-product — not waste — so the €10/t waste recovery levy does not apply.
What is the five-working-day standstill?
After a batch is registered with the EPA, no material may be transferred for at least five working days from the date of registration. ExchangeEarth tracks the standstill against the Irish calendar — Monday to Friday, public holidays excluded — so the clock is never guessed at.
Who is liable if the EPA disagrees?
The registration is the producer's self-certification — that's how the regime is designed. The platform makes the certification defensible: a criteria-led eligibility check before registration, complete generated documents, and an immutable record of what was declared and what actually moved.
What material qualifies?
Uncontaminated greenfield soil and stone — EWC 17 05 04 — meeting the EPA's national by-product criteria. Made ground, contaminated soil, and non-greenfield material do not qualify under this route.
What are the SoC and EUD?
The Statement of Conformity (the producer's declaration that the material meets the criteria) and the End User Declaration (the receiving site's declaration of its intended use, backed by planning permission or an exemption). Both accompany every by-product movement; the platform generates them from the deal data.
| M | T | W | T | F | S | S |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
27 | 28 | 29 | 30REG | 311 | 1 | 2 |
3HOL | 42 | 53 | 64 | 75 | 8 | 9 |
10CLEAR | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 |
Platform
When does it launch?
Early September 2026. Registering interest gets you one email when it goes live, with launch pricing.
What does registering interest commit me to?
Nothing. It's an email address on a launch list — no contract, no charge, unsubscribe anytime.
Do you hold payments?
Never. Commercial terms are agreed between the parties. The platform generates the self-billed VAT invoice on delivery confirmation, but funds always move directly between the businesses.
How is the chain of custody tamper-evident?
Every load's events — dispatch, pickup, drop-off, signature — are appended to a hash-chained log: each event carries a cryptographic fingerprint of everything before it. A record can't be quietly edited after the fact; corrections are new, visible events.
Hauliers
What permit do I need?
A waste collection permit (NWCPO) covering soil and stones, EWC 17 05 04. It goes on file once and is vetted before dispatch — it's your listing credential on the network.
Do my drivers need training?
A phone and five minutes. The driver app is four steps: accept, photograph and stamp the pickup, capture the drop-off, get the signature on the glass.
Pricing
What does it cost at launch?
The platform subscription is free for a limited period from launch. A per-ticket fee — being finalised — applies from launch, charged to the developer/contractor side of each movement.
What happens after the free period?
Subscription pricing is introduced with clear advance notice, at a lower rate for hauliers than for site operators. Amounts will be confirmed to registered users first.
Launching early September 2026. Be first on the network.
One email at launch with access and launch pricing — that's it.