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

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General waste: 3 codes.

General waste

  • Not hazardousHousehold-type, mixed

    Everyday rubbish from offices, canteens or welfare cabins

  • Not hazardousConstruction and demolition

    Mixed waste from the building or demolition work itself

    If it’s hazardous: , or .

  • Not hazardousPackaging

    Only packaging, mixed together

Is general waste 20 03 01 or 17 09 04?

Where it comes fromCode
Site offices, canteens and welfare cabins20 03 01
The building or demolition work itself17 09 04
Only packaging, mixed together15 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 and dry mixed recycling 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.

Sources

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