EER Codes: How to Assign the Right Code to Your Waste

What are EER Codes?

EER Codes (European Waste Catalogue) were introduced to meet a fundamental need: to standardize waste classification across Europe and enable safer, more traceable, and compliant management.
Until the 1990s, each Member State adopted its own criteria, making it difficult to monitor the origin, hazard, and proper disposal of waste, especially in cross-border contexts.

With Decision 2000/532/EC, the European Union established a standardized coding system, now mandatory for all Member States.
Each waste stream is identified by a six-digit code that defines its origin, composition, and potential hazard, regardless of the sector of origin: industrial, craft, healthcare, or civil.

This common language is today the starting point for responsible waste management, in compliance with European directives and national environmental laws.

CER stands for “Codice Europeo dei Rifiuti” in Italian, translated in English as EWC – European Waste Catalogue.

Why they were introduced and what they are for

Before the 1990s, waste management in Europe was fragmented: each country used different nomenclatures, making it difficult to track flows, hazards, and treatment.
The EWC, introduced by Decision 2000/532/EC, harmonized waste classification across the EU.

EWC codes are used to:

• Indicate how to dispose of or recover waste

• Assess whether it is hazardous or not

• Determine documentary requirements

• Communicate clearly with authorities, labs, and transporters

Who uses them in practice?

EWC codes are used daily by:

• Companies and environmental managers

• Analytical laboratories

• HSE consultants (Health, Safety & Environment)

• Public authorities and environmental agencies

• Waste transporters

• Disposal or recovery plants

In short: anyone producing, handling, transporting, or treating waste must know and correctly apply EWC codes.

How an EWC code is structured

Each code consists of six digits divided into three pairs (e.g., 04 02 22), which represent:

Some codes include an asterisk (*), indicating hazardous waste.

Hazardous or non-hazardous?

There are three types of EWC codes:

• Absolutely non-hazardous – contains no hazardous substances (e.g., 20 01 01 – paper and cardboard)

• Absolutely hazardous – always hazardous (e.g., 14 06 01* – halogenated solvents)

• Mirror entries – may be hazardous depending on chemical composition (e.g., 15 02 03 – 15 02 02*)

For mirror entries, it is necessary to consult the SDS (Safety Data Sheet), analyze the substances, and evaluate hazard classes (H), which then determine hazard properties (HP).

What HSE Genius can do

Assigning an EWC code may seem simple, but it requires regulatory knowledge, technical reading of SDS, and chemical analysis.
HSE Genius automates the entire process:

1. Upload the SDS (Safety Data Sheet)

2. AI automatically extracts substances and H-classes

3. HP hazard properties are calculated

4. All data is stored for audits, reports, and traceability

This saves hours of manual analysis and minimizes classification errors.