EWC code search
Search the complete UK EWC / List of Wastes by code number or description, check whether a code is hazardous, and see which chapter it belongs to.
For reference only. Always confirm the correct code before transferring waste — the wrong code on a Waste Transfer Note is a Duty of Care compliance failure. For the classification rules see the official gov.uk guidance.
842 codes
Browse by chapter, or start typing above.
Chapter 01Wastes resulting from exploration, mining, quarrying, and physical and chemical treatment of minerals
24 codes
Chapter 02Wastes from agriculture, horticulture, aquaculture, forestry, hunting and fishing, food preparation and processing
38 codes
Chapter 03Wastes from wood processing and the production of panels and furniture, pulp, paper and cardboard
19 codes
Chapter 04Wastes from the leather, fur and textile industries
21 codes
Chapter 05Wastes from petroleum refining, natural gas purification and pyrolytic treatment of coal
24 codes
Chapter 06Wastes from inorganic chemical processes
48 codes
Chapter 07Wastes from organic chemical processes
78 codes
Chapter 08Wastes from the manufacture, formulation, supply and use (MFSU) of coatings (paints, varnishes and vitreous enamels), adhesives, sealants and printing inks
38 codes
Chapter 09Wastes from the photographic industry
13 codes
Chapter 10Wastes from thermal processes
173 codes
Chapter 11Wastes from chemical surface treatment and coating of metals and other materials; non-ferrous hydrometallurgy
27 codes
Chapter 12Wastes from shaping and physical and mechanical surface treatment of metals and plastics
23 codes
Chapter 13Oil wastes and wastes of liquid fuels (except edible oils, and those in chapters 05, 12 and 19)
34 codes
Chapter 14Waste organic solvents, refrigerants and propellants (except 07 and 08)
5 codes
Chapter 15Waste packaging; absorbents, wiping cloths, filter materials and protective clothing not otherwise specified
12 codes
Chapter 16Wastes not otherwise specified in the list
72 codes
Chapter 17Construction and demolition wastes (including excavated soil from contaminated sites)
38 codes
Chapter 18Wastes from human or animal health care and/or related research (except kitchen and restaurant wastes not arising from immediate health care)
16 codes
Chapter 19Wastes from waste management facilities, off-site waste water treatment plants and the preparation of water intended for human consumption and water for industrial use
99 codes
Chapter 20Municipal wastes (household waste and similar commercial, industrial and institutional wastes) including separately collected fractions
40 codes
What is an EWC code?
An EWC code (European Waste Catalogue code, also called a List of Wastes or LoW code) is the six-digit reference used across the UK and EU to classify a type of waste. Every controlled-waste transfer — from a single skip to a full commercial collection — must record the correct code on its Waste Transfer Note.
The six digits work in three pairs. The first pair is the chapter (the industry or source the waste came from), the second pair narrows it to a sub-chapter, and the third pair identifies the specific waste type. A code ending in an asterisk (*) is hazardous and carries extra handling, carrier and documentation duties.
Some codes are absolute, which means the waste is hazardous (or not) whatever happens to be in the particular load. Others are mirror entries, and those come in pairs: one code for the waste when it contains dangerous substances, one for the same waste when it does not. Which half of the pair applies is settled by assessing what is in the load against the concentration limits in the government's WM3 guidance, so the code on its own does not answer it.
From October 2027, carriers, brokers and dealers must record waste movements digitally under DEFRA's Digital Waste Tracking service, and an accurate EWC code is the backbone of every record.
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We write a plain-English guide whenever the Digital Waste Tracking rules move, and these reference pages get updated with them. Leave your email and the next one comes to you.
Start on the free plan
CarrierNote is on the GOV.UK software provider list, connected to DEFRA's Digital Waste Tracking service. Receiving sites are in scope from October 2026 and carriers from October 2027, and you can be recording to DEFRA's standard from your first load, whenever you start.