Hazardous Waste Management: What It Is, With Examples

Hazardous waste is any waste that is harmful, or could be harmful, to people or the environment because of what it contains. In the UK a waste is hazardous when its List of Waste code carries an asterisk, either because the entry is always hazardous or because an assessment shows it has one of fifteen hazardous properties. Hazardous waste management is the set of duties that follow: classify it, keep it separate, store it safely, move it under a consignment note and keep the records.

This guide explains how hazardous waste is defined, gives common business examples and sets out what you need to do day to day. For the full legal framework, registration rules and penalties, read our hazardous waste regulations guide for UK businesses.

The legal definition of hazardous waste

In England, regulation 6 of the Hazardous Waste (England and Wales) Regulations 2005 says a waste is hazardous if it is listed as hazardous in the List of Wastes, or if a specific batch has been determined to be hazardous under regulation 8. Wales has its own equivalent regulations, Scotland uses the Special Waste Regulations 1996 and the term "special waste", and Northern Ireland has its own hazardous waste regulations. The underlying test is the same everywhere: the List of Waste code, and whether the waste displays a hazardous property.

The List of Waste (often called EWC codes) gives every waste a six-digit code. Any code marked with an asterisk is hazardous. Our guide to EWC codes and the List of Waste covers the code structure in more detail.

Absolute entries, mirror entries and asterisked codes

The technical guidance WM3, published jointly by the Environment Agency, Natural Resources Wales and SEPA, sorts every entry into one of four types:

• Absolute hazardous: always hazardous, marked with an asterisk. If your waste fits the description, you must use that code. Fluorescent tubes (20 01 21*) and lead batteries (16 06 01*) are examples.
• Absolute non-hazardous: generally non-hazardous without further assessment, for example alkaline batteries (16 06 04).
• Mirror hazardous: an asterisked entry that refers to hazardous substances, such as waste paint containing organic solvents or other hazardous substances (08 01 11*). It applies only if the waste shows a hazardous property or contains persistent organic pollutants (POPs) above the concentration limits.
• Mirror non-hazardous: the paired entry, usually worded "other than those mentioned in", such as 08 01 12 for paint that does not meet the hazardous criteria.

Mirror entries are where most classification mistakes happen. You cannot pick the non-hazardous code because it is cheaper or simpler; you need evidence, such as a safety data sheet or analysis, that the waste does not meet the hazardous criteria. If you are unsure, GOV.UK advises treating the waste as hazardous as a precaution. For the step-by-step assessment, see how to classify waste using WM3.

The 15 hazardous properties (HP1 to HP15)

A mirror entry becomes hazardous if the waste displays one or more of these properties, as listed in WM3:

1. HP1 Explosive
2. HP2 Oxidising
3. HP3 Flammable
4. HP4 Irritant (skin irritation and eye damage)
5. HP5 Specific target organ toxicity or aspiration toxicity
6. HP6 Acute toxicity
7. HP7 Carcinogenic
8. HP8 Corrosive
9. HP9 Infectious
10. HP10 Toxic for reproduction
11. HP11 Mutagenic
12. HP12 Produces toxic gases in contact with water, air or an acid
13. HP13 Sensitising
14. HP14 Ecotoxic
15. HP15 Capable of exhibiting a hazardous property not displayed by the original waste

The HP codes matter beyond classification. They go in Part B of the consignment note, and from 1 October 2026 receiving sites in England and Wales must also record HP codes, components and concentrations for hazardous loads in the Digital Waste Tracking service.

Hazardous waste examples for businesses

GOV.UK lists asbestos, chemicals such as brake fluid or print toner, batteries, solvents, pesticides, non-edible oils, equipment containing ozone depleting substances such as fridges, and hazardous waste containers as typical examples. In offices, warehouses, retail units, schools and estates, the streams we see most often are below.

Batteries

Lead acid, nickel cadmium and mercury-containing batteries are hazardous. Commercial codes are 16 06 01*, 16 06 02* and 16 06 03*, and separately collected mixed batteries take 20 01 33*. Alkaline and lithium batteries take non-hazardous codes, but lithium cells still need careful handling because damaged cells can catch fire. See how to dispose of batteries.

Lamps and fluorescent tubes

Fluorescent tubes and other mercury-containing lamps are hazardous (20 01 21* for municipal-type waste, 16 02 13* for industrial or commercial waste under GOV.UK's WEEE table). LED lamps without POPs or hazardous substances are non-hazardous. Our lamp recycling service collects tubes in dedicated containers so they are not broken in transit.

Electrical equipment with hazardous components

Waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) is hazardous when it contains hazardous components. GOV.UK names printed circuit boards, plastic casings and cables, insulation foam, cooling agents, flame retardants, activated glass and screen phosphors, cathode ray tubes, capacitors and Ni-Cd batteries as components that may contain hazardous substances or POPs. Typical commercial codes are 16 02 13* (hazardous) and 16 02 14 (non-hazardous), with 16 02 11* for equipment containing CFC, HCFC or HFC refrigerants.

Oils, solvents, paints and aerosols

• Oils: non-edible oils are hazardous, for example mineral-based engine, gear and lubricating oils (13 02 05*).
• Solvents: other solvents and solvent mixtures (14 06 03*), or solvents from municipal-type sources (20 01 13*).
• Paints: paint and varnish containing organic solvents or other hazardous substances (08 01 11*). Water-based paint may fall under the mirror non-hazardous entry if assessed.
• Aerosols: gases in pressure containers containing hazardous substances (16 05 04*).

Chemicals and contaminated packaging

Laboratory chemicals consisting of or containing hazardous substances take 16 05 06*, and packaging containing residues of or contaminated by hazardous substances takes 15 01 10*. An empty drum that held a hazardous chemical is still hazardous waste until it is cleaned. Pesticides, cleaning chemicals and print toner can all be hazardous depending on their safety data sheet.

The mixing ban

Regulation 19 of the Hazardous Waste (England and Wales) Regulations 2005 prohibits anyone who produces, collects, transports, recovers or disposes of hazardous waste from mixing it, unless the mixing is authorised by an environmental permit. GOV.UK guidance on segregation and mixing says you must not mix:

• hazardous waste with non-hazardous waste
• hazardous waste with a non-waste material
• different categories of hazardous waste
• waste oils with different characteristics

Categories depend on what happens when wastes meet, not just the code. An acid and an alkali can share a code (16 05 06*) yet still be different categories because they would react. Discrete items can share a vehicle or container without counting as mixing, provided they are not physically mixed, cannot cross-contaminate, and each is separately classified and described on the paperwork.

Storing hazardous waste on site

Producers and holders must store hazardous waste safely and securely until it is collected. In practice that means:

• a separate, labelled container for each waste type, with the waste description and code
• containers that suit the waste: lidded drums for liquids, tube coffins for fluorescent lamps, non-conductive containers for batteries
• liquids kept on a bunded surface or spill pallet, away from drains
• a covered, secure area so containers are protected from weather, vandalism and accidental damage
• damaged or swollen lithium batteries isolated from everything else
• staff briefed on what goes where, with clear signage

Consignment notes and producer duties

Every movement of hazardous waste in England and Wales needs a consignment note, prepared before the waste leaves your premises. The producer or holder completes Parts A and B, the carrier completes Part C, the consignor signs Part D when the carrier arrives, and the receiving site completes Part E. Our hazardous waste consignment note guide walks through each part.

As a producer or holder you must:

1. Classify the waste and assign the correct List of Waste code.
2. Keep it separate from other wastes and store it safely.
3. Use a registered waste carrier and send the waste to a site with the right permit or exemption.
4. Complete your parts of the consignment note, keep one copy and give two to the carrier.
5. Keep a register of consignment notes, consignee returns and related records for three years at the premises that produced or stored the waste.
6. Chase consignee returns if they do not arrive each quarter, and report to the Environment Agency if they are still not provided.

In Wales, premises producing or storing more than 500kg of hazardous waste a year must register with Natural Resources Wales. Producers in England have not needed to register since April 2016. See the GOV.UK hazardous waste guidance for the full producer and holder duties.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is classed as hazardous waste in the UK?

Waste is hazardous when its List of Waste code is marked with an asterisk. Absolute entries are always hazardous, while mirror entries are hazardous only when the waste shows one or more of the hazardous properties HP1 to HP15 or contains persistent organic pollutants above set limits.

What are examples of hazardous waste from a business?

Common examples are fluorescent tubes, lead acid and nickel cadmium batteries, electrical equipment with hazardous components, fridges containing ozone depleting substances, non-edible oils, solvents, paints containing solvents, aerosols, laboratory chemicals, pesticides, asbestos and contaminated packaging.

Can I put hazardous waste in a general waste bin?

No. Businesses cannot put hazardous waste into the general or municipal waste stream, and mixing hazardous waste with non-hazardous waste or with a different hazardous waste is illegal unless a permit specifically allows it.

Do I need a consignment note to move hazardous waste?

Yes. In England and Wales a hazardous waste consignment note must be prepared before the waste is moved and must travel with it to its destination. Scotland uses a special waste consignment note.

Are lithium batteries hazardous waste?

Under the GOV.UK battery classification table, lithium and lithium-ion batteries take non-hazardous codes (16 06 05 or 20 01 34). They are still a serious fire risk, so they must be stored apart from other waste and sent to a specialist battery recycler.

Who is responsible for classifying hazardous waste?

The business that produces the waste is responsible for classifying it and describing it accurately on the paperwork. A specialist contractor can help, but the legal duty stays with the producer.

How Waste Experts handles hazardous waste

Waste Experts is an Environment Agency permitted Approved Authorised Treatment Facility (permit WEE/ME0006ZT/ATF) and Approved Battery Treatment Operator based in Kirkheaton, Huddersfield. We collect hazardous waste nationwide, including batteries, fluorescent tubes, hazardous WEEE, oils, solvents, paints, aerosols and chemicals, and we provide the consignment note for every collection.

Our team will help you identify the right codes, set up segregated containers for each stream and keep your records in order. Find out more about our hazardous waste collection and disposal service.

Business customers only. Waste Experts collects from businesses and organisations, not households, and CEF branch drop-off is for business waste only. If you are getting rid of waste from your home, use your council's household waste recycling centre or a retailer take-back scheme instead.