Guidance

Vehicle and oily wastes: how to classify

Waste codes for common wastes produced by vehicle maintenance and dismantling activities.

You must classify the waste your business produces before it is collected, disposed of or recovered.

You must do this to identify:

  • if the waste is hazardous or not
  • which controls apply to the movement of the waste - this is to prevent harm to people and the environment

(*) An asterisk at the end of a code means the waste is hazardous.

Vehicle fluids and other oils

You must not mix any of the following fluids:

  • mineral oils
  • cooking oils
  • halogenated oils
  • brake fluids
  • anti-freeze
  • washer fluids
  • oily waters

Vehicle and other oils

Waste status DzԳٲԲPCBs Mineral-based and chlorinated Mineral-based and non-chlorinated Synthetic Readily biodegradable Other oils
Hydraulic oils Hazardous 130101* 130109* 130110* 130111* 130112* 130113*
Engine, gear and lubricating oils Hazardous Not applicable 130204* 130205* 130206* 130207* 130208*
Insulating and transmission oils Hazardous 130301* 130306* 130307* 130308* 130309* 130310*

(PCBs are polychlorinated biphenyls.)

Interceptor wastes

Waste status Waste code
Interceptor sludges Hazardous 130503*
Oily water from interceptor Hazardous 130507*
Solid waste from interceptor Hazardous 130501*

Fuels, brake and anti-freeze fluids

Waste status Waste code
Fuel oil and diesel Hazardous 130701*
Petrol Hazardous 130702*
Other fuels, including mixed fuels from mis-fuelling Hazardous 130703*
Brake fluids Hazardous 160113*
Antifreeze containing hazardous substances Hazardous 160114*
Antifreeze not containing hazardous substances Non-hazardous 160115

Vehicles and their components

The waste code for end-of-life (no longer usable) tyres is 16 01 03.

Vehicles

Waste status Waste code
End-of-life vehicles - un-depolluted Hazardous 160104*
End-of-life vehicles - depolluted Non-hazardous 160106

Components, including oil filters

Waste status Waste code
Oil filters Hazardous 160107*
Components containing mercury Hazardous 160108*
Components containing PCBs Hazardous 160109*

Air bags

The waste code for explosive components (for example air bags) is 16 01 10*.

Brake pads

Waste status Waste code
Brake pads containing asbestos Hazardous 160111*
Other brake pads Non-hazardous 160112

Car batteries

The waste code for lead acid car batteries is 16 06 01*.

Catalytic converters

The waste code for catalytic converters is 16 01 21*, or 16 01 22 for those that do not contain refractory ceramic fibres (RCF).

End-of-life vehicle wastes

Waste status Waste code
Ferrous metal Non-hazardous 160117
Non-ferrous metal Non-hazardous 160118
Cable Hazardous 16 01 21* and 16 01 22
Plastic Non-hazardous 160119
Vehicle glass Non-hazardous 160120

Contaminated materials

Waste status Waste code
Clothing, absorbents or wiping cloths contaminated with hazardous substances Hazardous 150202*
Clothing, absorbents or wiping clothes contaminated with non-hazardous substances Non-hazardous 150203

How to classify other wastes

Check the guidance on how to classify other common waste types.

Or check the technical guidance on waste, which lists all of the waste codes and how to apply them.

Get advice from a specialist waste contractor if you are not sure what code to use for your waste.

For more information, contact the Environment Agency.

General enquiries

National Customer Contact Centre
PO Box 544
Rotherham
S60 1BY

Email enquiries@environment-agency.gov.uk

Telephone 03708 506 506

Telephone from outside the UK (Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm GMT) +44 (0) 114 282 5312

Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm.

Updates to this page

Published 21 March 2014
Last updated 14 August 2025 show all updates
  1. Table 'End-of-life vehicle wastes' cable entry removed 'persistent organic pollutants (POPs)' as not applicable.

  2. First published.

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