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EWC codes: how to pick the right one, and what the asterisk means

25 October 2026 · CarrierNote

Updated

To find the right EWC code (the six-digit European Waste Catalogue number that says what a waste is), start with the chapter for the activity that made it. If none fits, the law sets the order: chapters 13 to 15, then 16, and a code ending in 99 last. That order is in the List of Wastes and the Environment Agency's WM3 guidance, last updated 28 September 2021.

An asterisk after a code, as in 13 07 01* for fuel oil and diesel, means the waste is hazardous. Some codes come in pairs, one with an asterisk and one without, and for those you can only choose once you know what's in the load. The official name for the list is the List of Wastes, and you'll see both names on paperwork.

Why the code matters

The code goes on the paperwork every time waste changes hands. GOV.UK says the description you give your waste contractor must include it. In England and Wales, the law on waste transfer notes (the duty-of-care record that goes with non-hazardous waste) says the note must identify the waste by its code.

It also decides what happens next. A hazardous code means the load moves under a hazardous waste consignment note, and our post on hazardous waste consignment notes covers that paperwork. Since October 2026, permitted receiving sites in England and Wales have also logged every load they take in on Digital Waste Tracking, the online service run by DEFRA (the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs). Each of those records carries one or more EWC codes. Scotland and Northern Ireland follow in January 2027, and carriers, brokers and dealers join the service in October 2027.

How the code is built

The six digits are three pairs. The first pair is the chapter, and there are 20 of them. The second pair narrows it to a sub-chapter, and the last pair is the waste itself. Take 17 05 04. Chapter 17 is construction and demolition waste, and 17 05 is soil, stones and dredging spoil. The full code is soil and stones other than those mentioned in 17 05 03.

A waste is identified by its full six-digit code, and the two- and four-digit numbers are the headings it sits under.

The order to search in

The List of Wastes sets out four steps, and the Environment Agency's technical guidance on waste classification, known as WM3, follows the same order.

  1. Look in chapters 01 to 12 and 17 to 20. These are sorted by where the waste came from, such as construction and demolition (17) or municipal waste, meaning household waste and similar waste from businesses (20). Skip any code ending in 99 for now.
  2. If nothing fits, look in chapters 13, 14 and 15. Chapter 13 is oils and fuels, 14 is solvents and refrigerants, and 15 is packaging, absorbents, wiping cloths and filters.
  3. If there's still nothing, look in chapter 16, which holds general wastes such as vehicles, electrical equipment, batteries and chemicals.
  4. Only if chapter 16 has nothing either, use the code ending in 99 (wastes not otherwise specified) in the chapter for the activity you found in step

WM3 says needing a 99 code is unusual, and asks you to go back over the first three steps before you use one. The list adds one rule to step 1 for packaging. Packaging collected separately goes under 15 01, including packaging collected from households.

What the asterisk means

The asterisk marks a hazardous waste, and the law says any code marked with one counts as hazardous for every rule about hazardous waste. WM3 sorts every code into one of four types, and the type tells you whether you need to know what's in the load.

Type What it means Example
Absolute hazardous Always hazardous, whatever is in it 13 07 01* fuel oil and diesel
Absolute non-hazardous Not hazardous, though a few are linked to other codes you check as well 03 01 01 waste bark and cork
Mirror hazardous Hazardous when it contains enough of a hazardous substance 17 05 03* soil and stones containing hazardous substances
Mirror non-hazardous The same waste below that level 17 05 04 soil and stones other than those mentioned in 17 05 03

With an absolute hazardous code, a test can't change the answer. WM3 says the waste stays hazardous even if it shows none of the hazardous properties (the ways a waste can do harm, such as being flammable or toxic).

Choosing between a mirror pair

A mirror pair is two codes for the same kind of waste, one with an asterisk and one without. The hazardous half usually names the substance or says "containing hazardous substances", and the other half usually reads "other than those mentioned in" followed by its twin's number.

Which half applies depends on what's in the load. You have to find out what the waste contains, from the manufacturer's safety data sheet or from what you know about the process that made it. Failing that, have it sampled and tested. Then compare what's in it with the limits in WM3. GOV.UK says the same for any waste with more than one possible classification, and asks you to work out what's in it and how much of it is hazardous.

If the contents can't be found out, WM3 says a mirror entry waste goes under the hazardous code. So a load of soil that nobody can trace or test goes down as 17 05 03*.

When one load needs more than one code

One skip can hold several wastes. GOV.UK says you'll usually need more than one code if you store more than one type of non-hazardous waste in the same container. WM3 gives the example of a lead acid battery in a skip of demolition wood, which needs two codes: 16 06 01* for the battery and 17 02 01 for the wood.

Mixing hazardous waste with other waste is against the law, unless it's done at a site permitted for it. If a load has been mixed, separate it where you can, and code each waste you find in it.

If you'd like to look a code up while you read, our free EWC code finder searches the full list by number or by plain words. It marks every hazardous code and every mirror entry.

When you pick a code in CarrierNote, the form tells you if it's one half of a mirror pair and which way the risk runs. If a load carries an asterisked code and the hazardous box is left unticked, the form flags it on screen while you're still filling it in. See how waste records are captured at carriernote.co.uk/product.

Sources

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