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01 05 06* Drilling muds and other drilling wastes containing hazardous substances

EWC / List of Waste code · Last checked 21 October 2026 · Applies across the UK (England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland)

Hazardous Mirror entry (hazardous side)

Official description: “drilling muds and other drilling wastes containing hazardous substances”

Where it sits: chapter 01 (wastes resulting from exploration, mining, quarrying, and physical and chemical treatment of minerals), section 01 05 (drilling muds and other drilling wastes).

What the hazard status means

This is one half of a “mirror” pair. Use this hazardous code if the waste contains hazardous substances above the thresholds, or has hazardous properties. You must assess the waste first, usually by knowing exactly what it is made of or by sampling and testing it.

Its mirror entries

Using this code

Write the code on the paperwork when waste is passed on: a waste transfer note for non-hazardous waste, or a consignment note for hazardous waste (called special waste in Scotland).
Choose the code from where the waste came from first (the chapter), then what it is. If a load is mixed, you may need more than one code.
The waste must go to a site whose permit allows that code. A registered carrier can tell you which codes they accept: check a waste carrier.
Businesses have a duty of care to describe their waste correctly.

Other codes in section 01 05

01 05 04 Freshwater drilling muds and wastes Not hazardous
01 05 05* Oil-containing drilling muds and wastes Hazardous
01 05 07 Barite-containing drilling muds and wastes other than those mentioned in 01 05 05 and 01 05 06 Not hazardous
01 05 08 Chloride-containing drilling muds and wastes other than those mentioned in 01 05 05 and 01 05 06 Not hazardous
01 05 99 Wastes not otherwise specified Not hazardous

This page explains the code in plain English. It is not a classification of your waste. The official List of Waste and the classification guidance decide which code applies, and you are responsible for the code you use.