EWC code for engine and waste oil
Waste engine, gear and lubricating oil is coded 13 02 05*. All waste oils are hazardous, so they need a consignment note and a registered carrier. Here is the oil family and the duties that come with it.
Mineral-based non-chlorinated engine, gear and lubricating oils
The oil family in chapter 13
Waste oils sit in chapter 13, and they are all hazardous. The one most garages and workshops produce is 13 02 05*, mineral-based non-chlorinated engine, gear and lubricating oils. The codes around it cover the rest:
- 13 02 06* synthetic engine, gear and lubricating oils
- 13 02 08* other engine, gear and lubricating oils
- 13 01 10* mineral-based hydraulic oils
- 16 01 07* oil filters, which are hazardous because of the oil they hold
Every one of these needs a hazardous waste consignment note and a registered carrier, and you keep your copy for at least three years.
The waste oil duties
Waste oil carries extra duties on top of the code. Keep it separate: do not mix different oils, and never mix oil with water, fuel, solvent or coolant, because contamination makes it harder to recycle and can change its classification. Store it in a bunded tank or sealed container, away from drains, and label it clearly. Most waste oil is recycled into reprocessed base oil or burned in approved plant, but only if it reaches the site uncontaminated.
Common mistake: letting oil filters or oily rags drift into the general bin. Filters are hazardous (16 01 07*) and oily absorbents are too. They belong on the consignment note with the oil, not in 20 03 01.