In order to ensure uniform enforcement of waste legislation, it is necessary to use uniform waste designations. This is the basic prerequisite for a functioning waste management system. The uniform waste designations are of great importance in particular for the disposal of waste and the licensing of disposal facilities.
European Waste List
With the European Waste List, such a basis was created at European level. The European Waste List (EWL) is decisive for waste designations in the European Union. The EWL applies to all waste, regardless of whether it is destined for disposal or recovery. The EWL has been amended twice – most recently at the end of 2014 – primarily due to changes in the chemicals legislation used as a basis, in particular the adoption of the EU CLP Regulation, as well as developments in waste management and waste legislation.
The European Waste List is a reference nomenclature that establishes a common terminology for the entire European Community. Explanations on this can be found in a Technical Guidance of the EU Commission (“Technical Guidance on Waste Classsification” of April 9, 2018, OJ C124, p. 1).
Classification of waste types
The list contains 842 types of waste, most of which are classified according to origin. The 408 types of waste classified as hazardous are additionally marked with an asterisk (*) after the six-digit waste code. Of the hazardous waste types, 178 have so-called mirror entries. In the case of these mirror entries, it must be decided on a case-by-case basis whether or not they have hazardous properties. This decision is to be made on the basis of the waste’s constituents. The decisive factor is whether at least one of the limit values (HP criteria) specified in Annex III of the Waste Framework Directive is exceeded.
Figure: Overview of waste types
National Implementation
In Germany, the european waste list was implemented with the Ordinance on List of Wastes (Abfallverzeichnisverordnung – AVV). The Federation/Federal States Working Group on Waste (LAGA) has published “Technische Hinweise zur Einstufung von Abfällen nach ihrer Gefährlichkeit” (in German only), which are intended to enable a simplified classification of mirror entries. The simplified classification rules were derived from the classification of relevant individual compounds under chemicals law, taking into account a worst-case assumption.