EWC codes explained: how to find the right waste code

What EWC codes are and why you need them

GOV.UK calls it "the waste classification code, also referred to as LoW (List of Waste) code or EWC (European Waste Catalogue) code". The codes come from one list, set out in Commission Decision 2000/532/EC. The technical guidance WM3 calls the list "the legal classification system used for classifying waste and identifying if a waste is hazardous waste".

You need the code in several places:

• Transfer and consignment notes. When you describe waste to your contractor, the paperwork must include the waste classification code. In England and Wales, the written description that goes with a transfer must identify the waste "by reference to the appropriate codes in the List of Wastes". In Wales, each separate hazardous waste on a consignment note needs its own EWC code. In Scotland, transfer notes and special waste consignment notes must both include EWC codes.
• Data returns. SEPA says permitted sites' quarterly or annual returns rely almost entirely on the EWC codes reported.
• Digital waste tracking. Permitted sites receiving waste in England or Wales must use the 'Report receipt of waste' service from 1 October 2026, and the data includes waste classification codes.

The law in each UK nation

Each nation's own regulations point to the same list, Commission Decision 2000/532/EC. The old List of Wastes Regulations 2005 have been revoked in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, so do not rely on them.

How a code is built

The list is divided into 20 chapters, numbered 01 to 20. The first two digits give the chapter, the next two the sub-chapter, and the last two the waste type. For example, chapter 04 is leather, fur and textiles, sub-chapter 04 02 is the textile industry, and 04 02 16* is "dyestuffs and pigments containing hazardous substances".

Titles matter. WM3 says the waste has to fall within the scope of the chapter title, and the sub-chapter title is also important. The chapters, shortened from the Decision's index:

The order to search the chapters

WM3 warns that "the LoW is not a 'look up' list". You must consider the entire list and use the chapters in the legal order of precedence, which is set out in the Decision itself:

1. Source chapters first: 01 to 12 and 17 to 20. Find where the waste came from, ignoring codes ending in 99. One site may need several chapters; the Decision's example is a car manufacturer using chapters 12, 11 and 08.
2. Then 13, 14 and 15 (oils and fuels, solvents and refrigerants, packaging and absorbents).
3. Then 16, for general wastes such as vehicles, batteries and chemicals.
4. Only then a 99 code in the section matching the activity you found in step 1.

Why 99 codes are a last resort

Codes ending in 99 mean "not otherwise specified". WM3 says reaching step 4 is unusual, so review steps 1 to 3 first, and do not use a 99 code if a more suitable code exists in another chapter. In Scotland, SEPA says a 99 code is only valid with a more detailed description of the waste, and SEPA may ask for more detail.

Hazardous codes: asterisks and mirror entries

Any waste marked with an asterisk (*) is hazardous waste, and in the hazardous waste regulations the six-digit code for a hazardous waste includes the asterisk. WM3 sorts entries into four types:

• Absolute hazardous. If the waste fits, you must use that code and no assessment can change it. WM3's example is any non-edible oil: it stays hazardous even if it shows no hazardous properties. You still assess its properties to fill in the consignment note.
• Absolute non-hazardous. No asterisk and no link to a mirror or hazardous entry. Check for linked entries first (WM3 names electrical waste, batteries, medicines and stabilised waste).
• Mirror hazardous and mirror non-hazardous. A pair (or group) where the same waste could be either. The non-hazardous one usually reads "other than those mentioned in...", for example 17 03 01* bituminous mixtures containing coal tar and 17 03 02 bituminous mixtures other than those mentioned in 17 03 01.

Assessing a mirror entry

Waste holders have a duty to work out whether a mirror entry waste is hazardous, and cannot assign a code until WM3 steps 4 to 7 are done:

1. Find the composition (safety data sheet, process knowledge, or sampling).
2. Check whether any substances are hazardous substances or persistent organic pollutants (POPs).
3. Assess hazardous properties HP 1 to HP 15.
4. Assign the code: the hazardous mirror if the waste shows a hazardous property or contains POPs above the limits, otherwise the non-hazardous mirror. If the hazardous entry names one substance or property, only that one (plus POPs) counts.

If the composition genuinely cannot be found, WM3 says the waste must go under the mirror hazardous entry. Do not use landfill waste acceptance criteria (WAC) results to classify waste.

Common mistakes

• Picking a 99 code too early. The legal order leaves 99 codes until last.
• Using a chapter 20 code that doesn't fit. WM3's worked example says 20 01 01 paper and cardboard is only right for household (or similar) waste, collected as a separate fraction, with no packaging. Clean paper and card packaging goes under 15 01 01.
• One code for a mixed container. You will usually need more than one code if one container holds more than one type of non-hazardous waste.
• Keeping the incoming code after treatment. SEPA says waste treated at a facility should generally be described using chapter 19, unless the treatment did not change its nature, such as minor sorting. GOV.UK lists 19 10 and 19 12 codes for outputs of mechanical treatment.
• A code with no description. Coding alone is not enough; SEPA's example is that "fines" needs a fuller description alongside 19 12 09 or 19 12 12.
• Guessing a mirror entry. Unknown composition means the hazardous mirror, not the non-hazardous one.

Where to look codes up officially

• The List of Waste on legislation.gov.uk, with its legal instructions.
• WM3 on GOV.UK: Appendix A holds the list with each entry's type. This edition is for England, Scotland and Wales.
• WM3 v1.2.NI on DAERA's website for Northern Ireland.
• GOV.UK's guides to common waste codes.
• SEPA's EWC guidance (November 2015), which points to SEPA's waste thesaurus of common wastes.

Checklist

1. Confirm the material is waste, and work out which process produced it.
2. Search chapters 01 to 12 and 17 to 20, then 13 to 15, then 16, then 99 codes.
3. Check the waste fits the chapter and sub-chapter titles, not just the code wording.
4. Note whether the code is absolute or mirror, and whether it has an asterisk.
5. For a mirror entry, find the composition and assess the hazardous properties and POPs before choosing.
6. Use more than one code for a container holding more than one type of waste.
7. Write a clear description next to every code, and include the asterisk on hazardous codes.
8. If you are unsure, ask your regulator: the Environment Agency, NRW, SEPA or NIEA.

Common questions

Is an EWC code the same as a LoW code?

Yes, they are two names for the same code. GOV.UK calls it "the waste classification code, also referred to as LoW (List of Waste) code or EWC (European Waste Catalogue) code", and the codes come from one list, set out in Commission Decision 2000/532/EC.

What does an asterisk mean on an EWC code?

It means the waste is hazardous. Any waste marked with an asterisk (*) is hazardous waste, and in the hazardous waste regulations the six-digit code for a hazardous waste includes the asterisk, so include it when you write the code down.

What do the six digits of an EWC code mean?

The first two digits give the chapter, the next two the sub-chapter, and the last two the waste type. The list is divided into 20 chapters, numbered 01 to 20, so 04 02 16* sits in chapter 04 (leather, fur and textiles) and sub-chapter 04 02 (the textile industry).

When can you use an EWC code ending in 99?

Only as a last resort. Codes ending in 99 mean "not otherwise specified", and the legal order leaves them until you have searched chapters 01 to 12 and 17 to 20, then 13 to 15, then 16. WM3 says do not use a 99 code if a more suitable code exists in another chapter, and in Scotland SEPA says a 99 code is only valid with a more detailed description of the waste.

What is a mirror entry in the List of Waste?

A mirror entry is a pair (or group) of codes where the same waste could be either hazardous or non-hazardous, for example 17 03 01* bituminous mixtures containing coal tar and 17 03 02 bituminous mixtures other than those mentioned in 17 03 01. Waste holders have a duty to work out whether a mirror entry waste is hazardous by finding its composition and assessing its hazardous properties and POPs. If the composition genuinely cannot be found, the waste must go under the mirror hazardous entry.

Check the official guidance

This guide is based on these pages. Rules change, so check them for the latest position.

• Classify different types of waste: your legal responsibilities (GOV.UK, Environment Agency and Defra)
• Waste classification technical guidance (GOV.UK, Environment Agency)
• Technical Guidance WM3: Waste Classification - Guidance on the classification and assessment of waste (Environment Agency, 1st Edition v1.2.GB)
• Classify different types of waste (GOV.UK, Environment Agency and Defra)
• Packaging waste and recyclables: how to classify (GOV.UK, Environment Agency and Defra)
• Wastes from mechanical treatment of waste: how to classify (GOV.UK, Environment Agency and Defra)
• Digital waste tracking: check if you need to report the waste you receive (GOV.UK, Defra and Welsh Government)
• Commission Decision 2000/532/EC, Annex: List of waste (legislation.gov.uk)
• The Hazardous Waste (England and Wales) Regulations 2005, regulation 4 (legislation.gov.uk)
• The Hazardous Waste (England and Wales) Regulations 2005, regulation 1 (legislation.gov.uk)
• The Hazardous Waste (England and Wales) Regulations 2005, regulation 5 (legislation.gov.uk)
• The Hazardous Waste (Wales) Regulations 2005, regulation 4 (legislation.gov.uk)
• The Special Waste Regulations 1996, regulation 1B (legislation.gov.uk)
• The Special Waste Regulations 1996, regulation 2 (legislation.gov.uk)
• The Hazardous Waste Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2005, regulation 5 (legislation.gov.uk)
• The Waste (England and Wales) Regulations 2011, regulation 35 (legislation.gov.uk)
• The List of Wastes (England) Regulations 2005 (revoked) (legislation.gov.uk)
• The List of Wastes (Wales) Regulations 2005 (revoked) (legislation.gov.uk)
• The List of Wastes Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2005 (revoked) (legislation.gov.uk)
• How to complete a hazardous waste consignment note (Natural Resources Wales)
• Guidance on using the European Waste Catalogue (EWC) to code waste (SEPA)
• Waste classification technical guidance (DAERA)
• Hazardous waste (DAERA)