EWC code checker
Find the right European Waste Catalogue (EWC) code in seconds. Search by waste type or by code, and we will tell you whether it is hazardous and which paperwork you need. New to this? Read our plain-English guide to EWC codes explained.
830 UK List of Waste codes. A star (*) means hazardous. Mirror entries, hazardous only if they contain dangerous substances, are flagged amber.
What an EWC code tells you
Every business that produces or moves waste in the UK has to describe it with the correct EWC code. It is part of your duty of care, and the code drives the rest: whether the load is hazardous, what paperwork has to travel with it, and how the receiving site has to handle it.
- The six digits read as three pairs: chapter, sub-chapter, then the specific waste. So 13 02 05 sits in chapter 13 (oil wastes).
- A star (*) marks a hazardous entry. Hazardous waste needs a hazardous waste consignment note, not a transfer note.
- Mirror entries are the tricky ones. The same waste has a hazardous version and a non-hazardous version, and which applies depends on what is actually in it. The checker above flags these so you do not guess.
Need the full background, with examples? Our guide on EWC codes explained walks through it, and how to fill out a consignment note covers where the code goes on the form.