EWC Code
Wastes from manufacture, formulation, supply and use of printing inks
EUR-Lex Commission Decision 2000/532/EC — Official Journal L 226, 06/09/2000Annual Volume
~200–400 kt/year printing ink waste EU-wide
Valorisation Range
Solvent-based ink waste €100–300/t as fuel; IPA-water wash recovered; UV-cure waste disposal €150–300/t
Primary Route
Solvent recovery and ink washings treatment
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Get contacts for EWC 08 03EWC 08 03 covers waste printing inks, ink sludges, toner waste and related process residues from ink manufacture, formulation, distribution and use in printing operations. Key hazardous codes: 08 03 12* (waste ink containing dangerous substances) and 08 03 14* (ink sludges containing dangerous substances). Non-hazardous: 08 03 13 (waste ink without dangerous substances) and 08 03 15 (ink sludges without dangerous substances).
Gravure printing uses high-VOC solvent-based inks (toluene, MEK, EtOAc) — ink washings are a significant hazardous waste stream. Offset lithography uses IPA-dampening water and petroleum-based inks; IPA recovery from fountain solution is standard. UV-cured ink waste (monomer and photoinitiator-rich) is hazardous due to skin-sensitising acrylate content. Digital printing generates spent toner cartridges (mostly refurbished or recycled) and liquid ink waste.
EU printing sector has been restructuring — gravure declining, digital printing growing. Toluene recovery from gravure printing is mandatory BAT under IED. Ink waste from food packaging printing must comply with Regulation (EU) 10/2011 (plastic food contact materials) requirements for recycled content. EUPIA (European Printing Ink Association) guidance on ink waste classification and management is widely followed.
Typical Generators
Established valorisation pathways for EWC 08 03, ranked by economic value and market depth. Solvent recovery and ink washings treatment is the primary route.
Toluene and MEK recovered from gravure printing ink washings by distillation — recovery efficiency >95% is IED BAT requirement. IPA-water from offset fountain solution distilled or adsorbed on activated carbon, then desorbed. Recovered solvents returned to ink formulation.
Ink sludge with NCV >15 MJ/kg (typical solvent-based ink residues) blended into cement kiln alternative fuel stream. Chlorinated ink waste assessed separately — printing inks rarely contain chlorine unless PVC-based. Pigment metals (Co, Cu phthalocyanine) pass through kiln ash.
UV-cured ink waste (acrylate monomers, photoinitiators) incinerated at permitted hazardous facilities — sensitiser content prevents co-processing in uncontrolled systems. Toner powder with CMR pigments (cobalt blue, cadmium yellow) requires hazardous waste incineration.
These are the established routes for EWC 08 03. Which one your stream qualifies for depends on its composition, volume and region.
Get the ranked options for your streamPrimary & secondary off-takers
Commercial printers generate the majority of 08 03 waste — managed via specialist waste contractors
Ink manufacturers manage in-process residues; off-spec ink returned to reformulation where feasible
Co-processes non-chlorinated ink waste as alternative fuel
UV-cure and acrylate ink waste incineration; solvent recovery from gravure wash streams
Source: NACE Rev.2 — Eurostat, 2008
Key legislative frameworks governing EWC 08 03 classification, transport, and treatment.
Publication gravure printers with solvent use >25 t/year subject to IED VOC controls. BAT: toluene recovery ≥95%. Offset printers: IPA substitution or fountain solution recovery schemes. Annual solvent management plan submitted to competent authority.
Inks on food-packaging substrates must comply with food contact material restrictions. Primary and set-off migration limits apply. Ink waste from food packaging printing classified accordingly — recycled materials from such waste must demonstrate migration compliance before food contact use.
Certain azo pigments in inks subject to REACH Annex XVII restrictions (carcinogenic amine release). Benzophenone and ITX photoinitiators under scrutiny for migration from printed packaging — ink waste containing these classified hazardous where concentrations exceed thresholds.
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Sectors that valorise EWC 08 03 as an input material or secondary raw material.
Waste-stream pages and resources connected to EWC 08 03 valorisation.
Explore EU waste flows — Waste Atlas
Visualise 17 years of E-PRTR industrial facility data. See how EWC 08 03 and related waste streams flow across European industries and sectors.
Source: EUR-Lex Commission Decision 2000/532/EC · NACE Rev.2 — Eurostat 2008
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