# Insulation EWC code 17 06 04 unless it holds something hazardous; 17 06 01* if it contains asbestos.

> Insulation EWC code: 17 06 04 for mineral wool, foam and boards with nothing hazardous in them, 17 06 03* if there is, and 17 06 01* for asbestos.
> Web page: https://complyonsite.com/tools/ewc-code-finder?waste=insulation

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- Based on the UK List of Waste and GOV.UK guidance
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## Is insulation 17 06 04 or 17 06 03*?

| Insulation | Code |
| --- | --- |
| Containing asbestos | 17 06 01* |
| Other insulation containing hazardous substances | 17 06 03* |
| Other insulation | 17 06 04 |

17 06 04 and 17 06 03* are a pair. Use 17 06 04 only once an assessment, such as the product’s safety data sheet, shows the insulation holds no hazardous substances. If you can’t find out, use 17 06 03*. The itch from mineral wool doesn’t count: WM3 leaves the mechanical irritation of fibres such as mineral wool out of the irritant hazard, HP 4.

## Is old polystyrene insulation POPs waste?

It can be. Some expanded and extruded polystyrene (EPS and XPS) insulation contains the flame retardant HBCDD, and GOV.UK lets boards already in buildings before 2016 to 2018 stay in use. Once removed, insulation with 1,000 mg/kg of HBCDD or more is POPs waste: name the POPs in its description, keep it apart from other waste, and the POPs in it must be destroyed. If you don’t know, ask the maker or have it tested.

## EWC code for asbestos lagging and insulation

Insulation containing asbestos, such as pipe lagging, is 17 06 01*. Other building materials with asbestos, such as asbestos cement, are 17 06 05*. A piece is hazardous at 0.1% asbestos or more. WM3 says asbestos insulating board, tiles or coatings in a skip of building waste make it a mixed load, with the asbestos coded and assessed on its own. See [asbestos](https://complyonsite.com/tools/ewc-code-finder?waste=asbestos).

### Sources

- [List of Waste, as retained in UK law (legislation.gov.uk)](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/eudn/2000/532/annex)
- [GOV.UK, Construction and demolition waste: how to classify](https://www.gov.uk/guidance/construction-and-demolition-waste-how-to-classify)
- [Environment Agency, WM3 waste classification guidance](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/waste-classification-technical-guidance)
- [GOV.UK, Identify and classify waste containing POPs](https://www.gov.uk/guidance/identify-and-classify-waste-containing-persistent-organic-pollutants-pops)
- [GOV.UK, Using persistent organic pollutants (POPs)](https://www.gov.uk/guidance/using-persistent-organic-pollutants-pops)

The codes apply across the UK. The POPs guidance here is England’s; Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland publish their own.