EWC Code
Wastes whose collection and disposal is not subject to special requirements
EUR-Lex Commission Decision 2000/532/EC — Official Journal L 226, 06/09/2000Annual Volume (EU)
1.2 million tonnes/year EU-wide
Valorisation Range
€180M recovered materials market
Primary Route
Industrial laundering & reuse
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Get contacts for EWC 18 01 04EWC 18 01 04 is a specific sub-code under EWC 15 02 — Absorbents, filter materials, wiping cloths and protective clothing. The classification guidance below applies to this waste stream.
EWC 15 02 covers absorbents, filter materials (including oil filters not otherwise specified), wiping cloths and protective clothing contaminated with dangerous substances. Non-hazardous variants arise when contamination does not confer hazard properties; hazardous mirror entries apply when contaminated with substances classified HP1–HP14.
Industrial wipes, filter cloths, respirator filters, chemical-resistant gloves, contaminated overalls and oil-absorbent booms fall within this sub-chapter. Classification requires assessment of contaminant identity and concentration against threshold limit values under Commission Regulation 1357/2014.
Generators must maintain contaminant records to substantiate non-hazardous classification. Mixed consignments containing both hazardous and non-hazardous absorbents default to hazardous classification for the batch. Separate collection streams are best practice to preserve non-hazardous status.
Typical Generators
Established valorisation pathways for EWC 18 01 04, ranked by economic value and market depth.
Contract laundry operators wash and re-certify industrial wipes and protective garments for re-issue. Reduces virgin textile demand; laundry wash water treated as contaminated effluent.
Contaminated wipes and filter media with calorific value ≥12 MJ/kg processed into solid recovered fuel. Co-fired in cement kilns or power stations under IED permit conditions.
Heavily contaminated materials not suitable for laundering or energy recovery disposed at permitted hazardous landfill under Landfill Directive 1999/31/EC leachate control conditions.
These are the established routes for EWC 18 01 04. Which one your stream qualifies for depends on its composition, volume and region.
Get the ranked options for your streamPrimary & secondary off-takers
Accepts contaminated absorbents for approved treatment or incineration
Contract cleaning and re-certification of reusable industrial wipes
Internal reuse of oil-contaminated absorbents in waste oil recovery circuits
Processing of lightly contaminated filter media for fibre recovery
Common materials that take EWC 18 01 04 depending on where the waste arises.
Sectors that valorise EWC 18 01 04 as an input material or secondary raw material.
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