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20 03 07 Bulky waste
Not hazardous Absolute non-hazardous entry
Official description: “bulky waste”
Where it sits: chapter 20 (municipal wastes (household waste and similar commercial, industrial and institutional wastes) including separately collected fractions), section 20 03 (other municipal wastes).
In plain English
Large household items such as furniture and mattresses. Waste upholstered seating, like sofas and armchairs, may contain persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and must be handled separately.
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 20 03
- 20 03 01 Mixed municipal waste Not hazardous
- 20 03 02 Waste from markets Not hazardous
- 20 03 03 Street-cleaning residues Not hazardous
- 20 03 04 Septic tank sludge Not hazardous
- 20 03 06 Waste from sewage cleaning Not hazardous
- 20 03 99 Municipal 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.
Official sources
- The List of Waste (Commission Decision 2000/532/EC, as it applies in the UK), legislation.gov.uk ↗
- GOV.UK: Classify different types of waste, your legal responsibilities ↗
- GOV.UK: Waste classification technical guidance (WM3) ↗
- Natural Resources Wales: How to classify and assess waste ↗
- SEPA: Waste classification technical guidance (PDF) ↗
- DAERA: Waste classification technical guidance ↗