Waste oil EWC code 13 02 05* for mineral engine and gear oil, 13 01 10* for hydraulic. All hazardous.
- Free, no account
- Based on the UK List of Waste and GOV.UK guidance
- Nothing is stored
Find an EWC code
Waste oil: 11 codes.
Waste oil
Keep different oils, fuels and fluids apart. Don’t mix them.
HazardousEngine, gear or lubricating oil
Mineral-based, NOT chlorinated
HazardousEngine, gear or lubricating oil
Mineral-based, chlorinated
HazardousEngine, gear or lubricating oil
Synthetic
HazardousEngine, gear or lubricating oil
Readily biodegradable
HazardousEngine, gear or lubricating oil
Other
HazardousHydraulic oil
Mineral-based, NOT chlorinated
HazardousHydraulic oil
Mineral-based, chlorinated
HazardousHydraulic oil
Synthetic
HazardousHydraulic oil
Readily biodegradable
HazardousHydraulic oil
Other
HazardousHydraulic oil
Hydraulic oil containing PCBs
77 more codes in the full list mention “Waste oil”
HazardousConstruction and demolition
Cables with oil, coal tar or other hazardous substances
If it isn’t hazardous: .
HazardousRags, absorbents and filters
Rags, absorbents, filters and protective clothing contaminated with hazardous substances
If it isn’t hazardous: .
Not hazardousHousehold-type, collected separately
Edible oil and fat
HazardousHousehold-type, collected separately
Oil and fat
HazardousVehicles and vehicle repair
Oil filters
HazardousTank and drum cleaning
Waste containing oil
If it isn’t hazardous, the non-hazardous code in 16 07 that fits: .
HazardousInsulating and heat transfer oil
Insulating or heat transmission oils containing PCBs
HazardousInsulating and heat transfer oil
Mineral-based chlorinated insulating and heat transmission oils
Which EWC code for engine, gear and hydraulic oil?
| Oil | Engine, gear and lubricating | Hydraulic |
|---|---|---|
| Mineral-based, not chlorinated | 13 02 05* | 13 01 10* |
| Mineral-based, chlorinated | 13 02 04* | 13 01 09* |
| Synthetic | 13 02 06* | 13 01 11* |
| Readily biodegradable | 13 02 07* | 13 01 12* |
| Other | 13 02 08* | 13 01 13* |
| Containing PCBs | Not used | 13 01 01* |
The oil’s safety data sheet says which kind it is. Insulating and transmission oils have their own codes in 13 03.
Is all waste oil hazardous?
Yes. WM3 says every waste mineral oil, fuel and lubricant is hazardous waste by law, even one with no hazardous properties, so it moves on a consignment note. The exceptions are edible oil, such as used cooking oil, which is 20 01 25, and some pure biodiesel.
Never mix them. GOV.UK names mineral oils, cooking oils, halogenated oils, brake fluid, antifreeze, washer fluid and oily water as separate categories that producers and carriers mustn’t mix.
EWC codes for diesel, petrol and interceptor waste
- Fuel oil and diesel
- 13 07 01*
- Petrol
- 13 07 02*
- Mixed fuels, including from misfuelling
- 13 07 03*
- Oily water from an interceptor
- 13 05 07*
- Interceptor sludge
- 13 05 03*
- Solids from an interceptor
- 13 05 01*
EWC code for oily rags, spill kits and oil filters
- Rags, absorbents and gloves
- 15 02 02* when contaminated by hazardous substances; 15 02 03 only once an assessment shows what’s on them isn’t. WM3 sets out how to assess oil on a waste.
- Oil filters
- 16 01 07*.
- Empty oil and diesel drums
- 15 01 10*, packaging with a hazardous residue.
- Soil or rubble from a spill
- Its own code, such as 17 05 03*, if the oil makes it hazardous.
Sources
- List of Waste, as retained in UK law (legislation.gov.uk)
- GOV.UK, Vehicle and oily wastes: how to classify
- Environment Agency, WM3 waste classification guidance
- GOV.UK, Hazardous waste: segregation and mixing
The codes apply across the UK. The GOV.UK guides are England’s; in Scotland waste oil is special waste, under SEPA’s rules.