WEEE EWC codes 20 01 35* or 20 01 36 for household-type electricals, 16 02 13* or 16 02 14 otherwise.
- Free, no account
- Based on the UK List of Waste and GOV.UK guidance
- Nothing is stored
Find an EWC code
Electrical equipment (WEEE): 4 codes.
Electrical equipment (WEEE)
Screens, circuit boards, batteries, cables and plastic parts often hold hazardous substances or POPs. Still unsure after checking? Treat it as hazardous.
Not hazardousElectrical equipment
Industrial or commercial equipment with no hazardous components
HazardousElectrical equipment
Industrial or commercial equipment with hazardous components
Not hazardousHousehold-type, collected separately
Household-type equipment with no hazardous components
HazardousHousehold-type, collected separately
Household-type equipment with hazardous components
Is office or site electrical waste 20 01 or 16 02?
It depends on the kind of kit, not on who throws it out. Anything a household would have, such as kettles, laptops and monitors, takes the chapter 20 codes even from an office or site, because chapter 20 takes precedence. Only kit a household wouldn’t have, such as industrial machinery or commercial catering equipment, goes in 16 02.
Which electricals are hazardous waste?
| Item | Household-type | Other |
|---|---|---|
| Screens, TVs and monitors containing POPs | 20 01 35* | 16 02 13* |
| Fridges, freezers and air con | 20 01 23* or 20 01 35* | 16 02 11* or 16 02 13* |
| Washing machines and other white goods | 20 01 36 | 16 02 14 |
| Heat pump tumble dryers | 20 01 35* | 16 02 13* |
| Small mixed electricals | 20 01 35* and 20 01 36 | Not used |
| Fluorescent tubes and other discharge lamps | 20 01 21* | 16 02 13* |
| LED lamps with POPs or hazardous substances | 20 01 35* | 16 02 13* |
| Other LED lamps, halogen and filament bulbs | 20 01 36 | 16 02 14 |
Every fridge and air con unit is hazardous: see fridges.
What if you can’t tell whether an electrical item is hazardous?
Treat it as hazardous and as POPs waste. GOV.UK says that if you’ve assessed an item and still aren’t sure, that’s the safe choice. Screens, circuit boards, cables and plastic casings are the parts that can hold POPs, and the Environment Agency expects circuit boards and cables to. Electrical waste that is POPs waste can’t be reused or recycled, unless the item or part was made after 1 January 2009 and is reused as equipment in the UK: see POPs waste.