Home › Waste codes › Chapter 16

16 05 08* Discarded organic chemicals consisting of or 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: “discarded organic chemicals consisting of or containing hazardous substances”

Where it sits: chapter 16 (wastes not otherwise specified in the list), section 16 05 (gases in pressure containers and discarded chemicals).

In plain English

Discarded organic chemicals that consist of, or contain, hazardous substances.

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 entry

16 05 09 Discarded chemicals other than those mentioned in 16 05 06, 16 05 07 or 16 05 08 Not hazardous

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 16 05

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.