# EWC code for general waste 20 03 01 for office and welfare bins, 17 09 04 for mixed building waste.

> EWC code for general waste: 20 03 01 for office, canteen and welfare bins, 17 09 04 for mixed building waste, and what must stay out of the bin.
> Web page: https://complyonsite.com/tools/ewc-code-finder?waste=general-waste

- Free, no account
- Based on the UK List of Waste and GOV.UK guidance
- Nothing is stored

## Is general waste 20 03 01 or 17 09 04?

| Where it comes from | Code |
| --- | --- |
| Site offices, canteens and welfare cabins | 20 03 01 |
| The building or demolition work itself | [17 09 04](https://complyonsite.com/tools/ewc-code-finder?code=17-09-04) |
| Only packaging, mixed together | 15 01 06 |

It depends where the waste comes from. Chapter 20 of the list is household waste and similar waste from businesses, so everyday rubbish from an office or welfare cabin is 20 03 01, mixed municipal waste. A skip of building waste isn’t. “Mixed waste” on a booking form usually means one of these three.

## What can’t go in a general waste bin at work?

- In England, keep food waste out. It has to be collected separately, even from construction sites.
- In England, keep dry recyclables out too: plastic, metal, glass, paper and card.
- Never put hazardous waste in, such as batteries, fluorescent tubes or solvent paint. Each needs its own code.

The recycling rules started on 31 March 2025. Firms with fewer than 10 full-time equivalent employees have until 31 March 2027. See [food waste](https://complyonsite.com/tools/ewc-code-finder?waste=food) and [dry mixed recycling](https://complyonsite.com/tools/ewc-code-finder?waste=dmr) for their codes.

## Can nappies and sanitary waste go in general waste?

In small amounts, yes. If you produce more than 7 kg of nappies, pads and other hygiene waste in a collection period, or more than one bag, keep it apart from the general waste and code it 20 01 99. Less than that can go in the black bag as 20 03 01. Clinical waste from healthcare is different: see [clinical waste codes](https://complyonsite.com/tools/ewc-code-finder?waste=clinical-waste).

### Sources

- [List of Waste, as retained in UK law (legislation.gov.uk)](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/eudn/2000/532/annex)
- [Environment Agency, WM3 waste classification guidance](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/waste-classification-technical-guidance)
- [GOV.UK, Simpler recycling: workplace recycling in England](https://www.gov.uk/guidance/simpler-recycling-workplace-recycling-in-england)
- [GOV.UK, Classify different types of waste: your legal responsibilities](https://www.gov.uk/guidance/classify-different-types-of-waste-your-legal-responsibilities)
- [GOV.UK, Healthcare and related wastes: how to classify](https://www.gov.uk/guidance/healthcare-and-related-wastes-how-to-classify)

The codes apply across the UK. The workplace recycling rules here are England’s; Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have their own.