European Waste Catalogue
The EWC is a list of waste types, established by the European Commission Decision 2000/532/EC1, which categorises wastes based on a combination of what they are, and the process or activity that produces them. It provides a standard framework for the comparison of waste data (statistics) across all member states. The EWC is used in several reports including quarterly/annual waste data returns to SEPA,, the EA and NIEA waste transfer notes and Hazardous Waste consignment notes [1].
The EWC is divided into 20 chapters, most of which are industry-based, although some are based on materials and processes. Individual waste types are assigned a six-digit code: the first two digits specify the chapter, the next two specify the subchapter, and the last two are specific to the waste type. Hazardous Wastes are signified by entries where the six-digit EWC code is marked by an asterisk (*)[1].