17 05 04 EWC code Excavated soil and stones, once an assessment shows they aren’t hazardous.
- Free, no account
- Based on the UK List of Waste, WM3 and GOV.UK guidance
- Nothing is stored
Find an EWC code
17 05 04, not hazardous.
Not hazardousConstruction and demolition
Soil and stones
If it’s hazardous, use this instead
HazardousConstruction and demolition
Soil and stones with hazardous substances
Is 17 05 04 hazardous?
No. It’s the non-hazardous half of a pair with 17 05 03*. GOV.UK says you must be able to prove soil holds no hazardous substances to class it as non-hazardous, and you must always assess it before it goes to someone else. If what’s in it genuinely can’t be found out, it’s 17 05 03*.
Can WAC results show soil is 17 05 04?
No. Waste acceptance criteria (WAC) tests tell a landfill whether it can take the soil. GOV.UK says you must not use WAC results to classify waste. Deciding between 17 05 04 and 17 05 03* needs its own assessment of what’s in the soil.
What if the soil has asbestos in it?
- Pieces
- Any fragment of asbestos-containing material makes the soil a mixed hazardous waste: 17 06 05* for the pieces, and a code for the soil.
- Loose fibres
- Fibres spread through the soil make it hazardous if the soil as a whole holds 0.1% asbestos or more, so it’s 17 05 03*.
Sources
- Construction and demolition waste: how to classify (GOV.UK)
- Classify different types of waste: your legal responsibilities (GOV.UK)
- WM3 waste classification guidance (Environment Agency, NRW, SEPA)
- List of Waste (legislation.gov.uk)
The codes apply across the UK. The GOV.UK guides are for England.