Waste Audit Methodology – Information on Waste Categories and EWC Codes

The waste categories were developed from the categories used in the EPA Municipal Waste Characterisation Manual, 1996, but have been updated to take into account the evolution of waste materials and the 2002 change in EWC Codes. There are 13 principal and 57 secondary categories. Click on the link at the bottom of this page for the full listing. It must be noted that:

• ‘Vegetable oil’, ‘Office Papers’, ‘Tissue Papers’ and ‘Styrofoam’ categories were created to identify more accurately some commercial wastes.
• A ‘liquid waste’ category was created for remaining liquid contained in beverage cartons or bottles.
• WEEE waste was not broken down into the categories recommended by the WEEE task force, as bulky items will be considered separately from the waste characterisation.
• Disposable Nappies are grouped with Healthcare Textiles.
• Clear PVC and Opaque PVC jars & bottles were combined into PVC Packaging
• Clear PET Bottles, Green PET jars and bottles and Brown PET jars and bottles were combined into PET Packaging
• A ‘Wood non-packaging’ category was created.

Important points of clarification for sorting and classification:

• Packaging items with contents where the content of packaging item is suspected to weigh more than the packaging itself (e.g. full bottles): the liquid content and the packaging shall be classified separately to the specific categories of the sorting catalogue. The liquid waste will be transferred to a separate container and recorded separately.
• Fines (Fraction < 20 mm) in bags such as vacuum bags, house sweepings, pet litter etc: The contents of such bags are often easy to classify as fines and the weight of the bags forms a relatively minor part of the waste stream. Therefore, these bags shall be classified with their content directly to the fraction < 20 mm. These bags shall not be emptied for hygienic reasons.
• Composites or combined packaging (e.g. packets of cigarettes, bottles with cap, yogurt pots with aluminium lids etc.): Where the compounds can be separated easily and which are larger than a packet of cigarettes, the compounds have to be classified to the specific categories. For composites that are smaller than a packet of cigarettes: the compounds shall be classified according to the dominant category.
• Multi-material Items; i.e. objects consisting mainly of pure categories and only small parts (<20% of weight) of another category (e.g. metal brush handle (with handles of plastic), hole puncher, cardboard ring binder etc…) shall be classified according to the category of its main component. The separation would only be possible with substantial effort.
• Refuse sacks are not packaging waste and shall recorded in the category ‘other plastic waste’ due to the fact that they do not satisfy the definition of packaging that has been placed on the market.

Municipal Waste Categories and EWC codes