[Australian waste code finder](https://complyonsite.com/tools/waste-code-finder-australia)

# N120 national waste code Dirt tainted with a controlled waste, from spills & old sites.

> N120 national waste code. Soil contaminated with a controlled waste, from spills & old industrial sites. A national reporting category.
> Web page: https://complyonsite.com/tools/waste-code-finder-australia?code=national-n120

- Free, no account
- DCCEEW hazardous-waste data and reporting standard 2025
- Nothing is stored

## Is National N120 hazardous waste?

**Not from the code alone.** N120 is a DCCEEW reporting category that groups waste data nationally. It doesn't make every material with this description hazardous. State and territory rules decide the classification, exclusions and movement duties for a real load.

Enter N120 in the national waste-data category field when reporting under that standard. It isn't a transport certificate. A movement needs the code and record accepted where it starts, plus any required destination consignment authorisation for an interstate controlled load. Apply [separate interstate movement controls](https://complyonsite.com/tools/waste-code-finder-australia), because a reporting code gives no state movement classification.

## What does National N120 cover?

Soil contaminated with controlled waste goes here. The contaminant must be controlled waste or another substance on the national list.

- **Official wording**: Soils contaminated with a controlled waste
- **Reporting group**: Soil/sludge
- **Description edition**: 2015
- **Rule or list**: [Australian hazardous waste data and reporting standard, 2025 edition](https://www.dcceew.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/australian-hazardous-waste-data-reporting-standard-2025.pdf)

## Is contaminated soil National N120 or another code?

| Code | When it fits |
| --- | --- |
| N120 | The soil holds a controlled waste or listed contaminant. |

These examples show the national category only. A state may use a different code, threshold or facility permission, so use that state's list before preparing transport paperwork.

## Which wastes take National N120?

| Waste | When it’s N120 |
| --- | --- |
| [Contaminated soil](https://complyonsite.com/tools/waste-code-finder-australia?waste=contaminated-soil) | Assessment confirms soil contamination that needs this entry. |

## Which codes sit beside National N120?

| Code | What it is |
| --- | --- |
| [M250](https://complyonsite.com/tools/waste-code-finder-australia?code=national-m250) | Surfactants and detergents |
| [M260](https://complyonsite.com/tools/waste-code-finder-australia?code=national-m260) | Strong-smelling organic chemicals |
| [M270](https://complyonsite.com/tools/waste-code-finder-australia?code=national-m270) | PFAS-contaminated material |
| [N100](https://complyonsite.com/tools/waste-code-finder-australia?code=national-n100) | Contaminated containers and drums |
| [N140](https://complyonsite.com/tools/waste-code-finder-australia?code=national-n140) | Fire debris and washwater |
| [N150](https://complyonsite.com/tools/waste-code-finder-australia?code=national-n150) | Fly ash |
| [N160](https://complyonsite.com/tools/waste-code-finder-australia?code=national-n160) | Fixed, solidified or encapsulated waste |
| [N190](https://complyonsite.com/tools/waste-code-finder-australia?code=national-n190) | Filter cake with listed-waste residue |

### Sources

- [Australian hazardous waste data and reporting standard, 2025 edition](https://www.dcceew.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/australian-hazardous-waste-data-reporting-standard-2025.pdf)
- [National Environment Protection (Movement of Controlled Waste between States and Territories) Measure 1998, compilation F2012C00858](https://www.legislation.gov.au/F2007B01119/latest)
- [Hazardous Waste in Australia, final report version 2](https://www.dcceew.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/hazardous-waste-australia.pdf)