Waste management is a fundamental aspect for environmental protection and public health, and is regulated at European and national level to ensure correct disposal and, where possible, resource recovery. To effectively address the waste problem, it is important to know the different types of waste, the categories to which they belong and the classification system that allows for optimal management.
Waste classes
Waste can be divided into different categories depending on its origin, composition and hazardousness. In general, the main classes of waste are the following:
- Municipal waste: comes from domestic activities or other activities that produce waste similar in nature and composition, such as that from schools, offices or shops. This class also includes waste from street cleaning, green waste from public and private gardens, and waste collected in public areas.
- Special waste: includes waste generated by industrial, artisanal, agricultural, health, demolition and construction activities. This waste requires specific treatment and often presents risks to the environment and human health. These include waste from industrial and artisanal processes, sludge from water treatment and waste from health activities.
- Hazardous waste: may be of urban or special origin, but are distinguished by the presence of chemical substances, heavy metals or other components that make them harmful. These include used oils, solvents, batteries and accumulators, and other chemical products. The hazardous nature of the waste means that it must be treated and disposed of in special facilities.
- Non-hazardous waste: includes all those materials that, while requiring adequate management and treatment, do not contain harmful substances. This category includes waste from agricultural, food and non-hazardous raw material production operations.
The EER classification (European Waste Catalogue)
To standardize the classification of waste throughout Europe, a codified system called the European List of Waste (EER) was created. This list assigns a six-digit numeric code to each type of waste, which allows us to identify its origin, characteristics and the type of treatment required. The EER code is divided into chapters, each of which corresponds to a production sector or a specific activity.
Here’s how encoding works:
- The first two digits indicate the category to which the waste belongs, such as “20” for urban waste or “01” for waste from agricultural and agro-industrial activities.
- The third and fourth digits further specify the type of specific production activity or sub-sector from which the waste originates.
- The last two digits specifically identify the type of waste.
For example, code 20 01 01 identifies paper and cardboard as urban waste, while code 13 02 05 indicates used mineral oils that require specific treatment due to their dangerousness.
The Importance of EER Coding
The use of EER coding has significantly simplified waste management at European level, facilitating the identification and treatment of waste, as well as the monitoring of management flows. It also helps businesses and administrations to comply with current regulations and avoid penalties due to errors in waste management.
In summary, waste can be classified into four main categories: urban, special, hazardous and non-hazardous. The classification and management of waste are made more efficient by the use of the EER code, which facilitates the monitoring and appropriate treatment of each type of waste.