EWC Code
Wastes from agriculture, horticulture, aquaculture, forestry, hunting and fishing
EUR-Lex Commission Decision 2000/532/EC — Official Journal L 226, 06/09/2000Annual Volume
~130 Mt/year EU agricultural waste (excl. slurry and manure)
Valorisation Range
Crop residues €5–25/t for bioenergy; digestate €8–15/t applied
Primary Route
Anaerobic digestion and digestate spreading
Need verified buyer contacts with location-specific pricing?
Get contacts for EWC 02 01EWC 02 01 encompasses a broad range of primary production residues: crop residues and straw, manure and slurry (subject to Nitrates Directive and often excluded from waste definition when applied to land as fertiliser), animal carcasses and offal, pesticide-contaminated packaging, agricultural plastics, and sludge from fish farming. Classification as waste is determined by whether the producer intends use or disposal — manure and crop residues spread on agricultural land in line with best practice are typically by-products, not wastes.
Hazardous sub-codes arise where pesticides or wood preservatives contaminate residues (02 01 08*) or where chemicals are involved (02 01 09* — agrochemical waste). Plastic film mulch and greenhouse covering (02 01 04) is a growing stream — EU agriculture uses ~700,000 t/year of plastic film, of which collection rates remain below 30% in many Member States. Animal carcasses and biological wastes are governed by Animal By-Products Regulation (EC) 1069/2009.
Anaerobic digestion of mixed agricultural organic waste produces biogas (energy recovery) and digestate (soil amendment), representing the primary industrial symbiosis route. Forestry residues (bark, stumps, brash) flow into biomass energy chains. Aquaculture sludge, rich in nitrogen and phosphorus, is increasingly treated as a nutrient resource for soil application or algae cultivation.
Typical Generators
Established valorisation pathways for EWC 02 01, ranked by economic value and market depth. Anaerobic digestion and digestate spreading is the primary route.
Mixed organic agricultural residues (manure, crop waste, food processing by-products) co-digested in biogas plant. Biogas used for heat and power (or upgraded to biomethane). Digestate applied to farmland as mineral replacement fertiliser subject to Nitrates Directive limits.
Solid organic fractions (crop residues, manure) composted to produce certified compost (EN 13432 or national standard). Sold to horticulture, landscaping and land restoration markets. Requires permit or registration under national waste regulations.
Woody residues (forestry brash, orchard prunings) chipped and used in biomass boilers or co-fired in combined heat and power installations. Governed by Renewable Energy Directive sustainability criteria (Directive (EU) 2018/2001 Art. 29).
These are the established routes for EWC 02 01. Which one your stream qualifies for depends on its composition, volume and region.
Get the ranked options for your streamPrimary & secondary off-takers
Generates crop residues; also receiver of digestate and compost as soil amendment
Biomass CHP plants consume forestry and agricultural residues
Biogas plant operators and composting facilities process organic agricultural waste
Biorefinery operators extract bio-based chemicals and proteins from agricultural residues
Mixed farms use manure and crop residues in circular fertility cycles
Source: NACE Rev.2 — Eurostat, 2008
Key legislative frameworks governing EWC 02 01 classification, transport, and treatment.
Governs application of livestock manure and digestate to agricultural land. Annual nitrogen limits (170 kg N/ha in nitrate vulnerable zones). Manure spread as fertiliser in line with a nutrient management plan is typically a by-product, not waste.
Category 1 (specified risk material), 2 (fallen stock, catering waste) and 3 (former foodstuffs, fish) materials have prescribed treatment routes. Category 3 can flow to biogas and composting facilities; Category 1/2 require incineration or specific rendering.
Agricultural and forestry residues used for bioenergy must meet sustainability criteria (GHG savings ≥70%) and, from 2023, primary woody biomass from forests requires additional forest protection criteria.
Leave your work email. Our industrial desk sends verified company contacts with location-specific pricing and contract minimums for wastes from agriculture, horticulture, aquaculture, forestry, hunting and fishing — not generic benchmarks.
Reviewed by our industrial desk within 1 business day.
Sectors that valorise EWC 02 01 as an input material or secondary raw material.
Waste-stream pages and resources connected to EWC 02 01 valorisation.
Explore EU waste flows — Waste Atlas
Visualise 17 years of E-PRTR industrial facility data. See how EWC 02 01 and related waste streams flow across European industries and sectors.
Source: EUR-Lex Commission Decision 2000/532/EC · NACE Rev.2 — Eurostat 2008
Browse all EWC codes