Home › Waste codes › Chapter 17

17 04 03 Lead

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

Not hazardous Absolute non-hazardous entry

Official description: “lead”

Where it sits: chapter 17 (construction and demolition wastes (including excavated soil from contaminated sites)), section 17 04 (metals (including their alloys)).

In plain English

Scrap lead from building work, such as roof flashing.

What the hazard status means

Waste that matches this description is not hazardous waste. Check that nothing hazardous has been mixed in: a load that contains hazardous waste needs a different code.

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 17 04

17 04 01 Copper, bronze, brass Not hazardous
17 04 02 Aluminium Not hazardous
17 04 04 Zinc Not hazardous
17 04 05 Iron and steel Not hazardous
17 04 06 Tin Not hazardous
17 04 07 Mixed metals Not hazardous
17 04 09* Metal waste contaminated with hazardous substances Hazardous
17 04 10* Cables containing oil, coal tar and other hazardous substances Hazardous
17 04 11 Cables other than those mentioned in 17 04 10 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.