# Rubble EWC code 17 01 07 for mixed concrete, bricks and tiles, or a code for each kept apart.

> Rubble EWC code: 17 01 07 for mixed concrete, bricks and tiles, 17 01 01 for concrete alone, 17 01 06* if contaminated, and reusing it as hardcore.
> Web page: https://complyonsite.com/tools/ewc-code-finder?waste=rubble

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

## Is rubble 17 01 07, 17 01 01 or 17 01 02?

| Rubble | Code |
| --- | --- |
| Concrete only | 17 01 01 |
| Bricks only | 17 01 02 |
| Tiles and ceramics only | 17 01 03 |
| A mix of concrete, bricks, tiles and ceramics | 17 01 07 |
| Any of these containing hazardous substances | 17 01 06* |

Each code without an asterisk pairs with 17 01 06*, so use it only once an assessment shows nothing hazardous is in the rubble. If you can’t find out, use 17 01 06*. 17 01 07 is for mixes of those four materials only: rubble mixed with wood, plastic or metal is mixed building waste, [17 09 04](https://complyonsite.com/tools/ewc-code-finder?code=17-09-04).

## What makes concrete or brick rubble hazardous?

- **Asbestos**: Pieces of asbestos cement or board are coded on their own, 17 06 05*, and the rubble separately. See [asbestos](https://complyonsite.com/tools/ewc-code-finder?waste=asbestos).
- **Oil or fuel**: Rubble soaked by a spill is assessed for the oil in it under WM3, and may become 17 01 06*.
- **Plaster and plasterboard**: Gypsum is a separate waste with its own code: see [plasterboard](https://complyonsite.com/tools/ewc-code-finder?waste=plasterboard).
- **Unset cement**: GOV.UK lists unused or unset cement as hazardous, 17 09 03*. Concrete that has set is 17 01 01.

## Can you reuse crushed rubble as hardcore?

In England, yes, with a U1 waste exemption registered with the Environment Agency, as part of building or engineering work. It covers up to 5,000 tonnes over three years of 17 01 01, 17 01 02, 17 01 03 and 17 01 07, together with some other aggregates, stored for no more than 12 months before use. The rubble must suit the job, meet engineering standards and be free of plastic, asbestos fragments, oils and fuels. U1 doesn’t cover crushing it to size: that’s treatment, which needs its own exemption or permit.

Rubble crushed at a treatment site isn’t 19 12 09. GOV.UK says that code is for natural minerals such as sand and stone, not bricks, concrete or tiles.

### 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, Dispose of waste to landfill](https://www.gov.uk/guidance/dispose-of-waste-to-landfill)
- [GOV.UK, U1 waste exemption: using waste in construction](https://www.gov.uk/guidance/u1-waste-exemption-use-of-waste-in-construction)
- [GOV.UK, Wastes from mechanical treatment of waste: how to classify](https://www.gov.uk/guidance/wastes-from-mechanical-treatment-of-waste-how-to-classify)

The codes apply across the UK. The U1 exemption is England’s; Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own.