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19 12 01 Paper and cardboard

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: “paper and cardboard”

Where it sits: chapter 19 (wastes from waste management facilities, off-site waste water treatment plants and the preparation of water intended for human consumption and water for industrial use), section 19 12 (wastes from the mechanical treatment of waste (for example sorting, crushing, compacting, pelletising) not otherwise specified).

In plain English

Paper and cardboard separated out at a waste treatment site.

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 19 12

19 12 02 Ferrous metal Not hazardous
19 12 03 Non-ferrous metal Not hazardous
19 12 04 Plastic and rubber Not hazardous
19 12 05 Glass Not hazardous
19 12 06* Wood containing hazardous substances Hazardous
19 12 07 Wood other than that mentioned in 19 12 06 Not hazardous
19 12 08 Textiles Not hazardous
19 12 09 Minerals (for example sand, stones) Not hazardous
19 12 10 Combustible waste (refuse derived fuel) Not hazardous
19 12 11* Other wastes (including mixtures of materials) from mechanical treatment of waste containing hazardous substances Hazardous
19 12 12 Other wastes (including mixtures of materials) from mechanical treatment of wastes other than those mentioned in 19 12 11 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.