Vehicle and oily wastes: how to classify
Waste codes for common wastes produced by vehicle maintenance and dismantling activities.
You must classify the waste your business produces before it is collected, disposed of or recovered.
You must do this to identify:
- if the waste is hazardous or not
- which controls apply to the movement of the waste - this is to prevent harm to people and the environment
(*) An asterisk at the end of a code means the waste is hazardous.
Vehicle fluids and other oils
You must not mix any of the following fluids:
- mineral oils
- cooking oils
- halogenated oils
- brake fluids
- anti-freeze
- washer fluids
- oily waters
Vehicle and other oils
| Waste status | Contains聽PCBs | Mineral-based and chlorinated | Mineral-based and non-chlorinated | Synthetic | Readily biodegradable | Other oils | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hydraulic oils | Hazardous | 13聽01聽01* | 13聽01聽09* | 13聽01聽10* | 13聽01聽11* | 13聽01聽12* | 13聽01聽13* |
| Engine, gear and lubricating oils | Hazardous | Not applicable | 13聽02聽04* | 13聽02聽05* | 13聽02聽06* | 13聽02聽07* | 13聽02聽08* |
| Insulating and transmission oils | Hazardous | 13聽03聽01* | 13聽03聽06* | 13聽03聽07* | 13聽03聽08* | 13聽03聽09* | 13聽03聽10* |
(PCBs are polychlorinated biphenyls.)
Interceptor wastes
| Waste status | Waste code | |
|---|---|---|
| Interceptor sludges | Hazardous | 13聽05聽03* |
| Oily water from interceptor | Hazardous | 13聽05聽07* |
| Solid waste from interceptor | Hazardous | 13聽05聽01* |
Fuels, brake and anti-freeze fluids
| Waste status | Waste code | |
|---|---|---|
| Fuel oil and diesel | Hazardous | 13聽07聽01* |
| Petrol | Hazardous | 13聽07聽02* |
| Other fuels, including mixed fuels from mis-fuelling | Hazardous | 13聽07聽03* |
| Brake fluids | Hazardous | 16聽01聽13* |
| Antifreeze containing hazardous substances | Hazardous | 16聽01聽14* |
| Antifreeze not containing hazardous substances | Non-hazardous | 16聽01聽15聽 |
Vehicles and their components
The waste code for end-of-life (no longer usable) tyres is 16聽01聽03.
Vehicles
| Waste status | Waste code | |
|---|---|---|
| End-of-life vehicles - un-depolluted | Hazardous | 16聽01聽04* |
| End-of-life vehicles - depolluted | Non-hazardous | 16聽01聽06聽 |
Components, including oil filters
| Waste status | Waste code | |
|---|---|---|
| Oil filters | Hazardous | 16聽01聽07* |
| Components containing mercury | Hazardous | 16聽01聽08* |
| Components containing聽PCBs | Hazardous | 16聽01聽09* |
Air bags
The waste code for explosive components (for example air bags) is 16聽01聽10*.
Brake pads
| Waste status | Waste code | |
|---|---|---|
| Brake pads containing asbestos | Hazardous | 16聽01聽11* |
| Other brake pads | Non-hazardous | 16聽01聽12 |
Car batteries
The waste code for lead acid car batteries is 16聽06聽01*.
Catalytic converters
The waste code for catalytic converters is 16聽01聽21*, or 16聽01聽22 for those that do not contain refractory ceramic fibres (RCF).
End-of-life vehicle wastes
| Waste status | Waste code | |
|---|---|---|
| Ferrous metal | Non-hazardous | 16聽01聽17 |
| Non-ferrous metal | Non-hazardous | 16聽01聽18 |
| Cable | Hazardous and persistent organic pollutants (POPs) | 16聽01聽21* and 16聽01聽22 |
| Plastic | Non-hazardous | 16聽01聽19 |
| Vehicle glass | Non-hazardous | 16聽01聽20 |
Contaminated materials
| Waste status | Waste code | |
|---|---|---|
| Clothing, absorbents or wiping cloths contaminated with hazardous substances | Hazardous | 15聽02聽02* |
| Clothing, absorbents or wiping clothes contaminated with non-hazardous substances | Non-hazardous | 15聽02聽03聽 |
How to classify other wastes
Check the guidance on how to classify other common waste types.
Or check the聽technical guidance on waste, which lists all of the waste codes and how to apply them.
Get advice from a specialist waste contractor if you are not sure what code to use for your waste.
For more information, contact the Environment Agency.
General enquiries
National Customer Contact Centre
PO Box 544
Rotherham
S60 1BY
Email enquiries@environment-agency.gov.uk
Telephone 03708 506 506
Telephone from outside the UK (Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm GMT) +44 (0) 114 282 5312
Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm.