- List of Waste code
- 16 05 06*
- WM3 entry type
- Mirror hazardous
- Official description
- Laboratory chemicals, consisting of or containing hazardous substances, including mixtures of laboratory chemicals
- Jurisdiction note
- WM3 GB reference; check national requirements for the site
Laboratory chemicals covered by 16 05 06*
WM3 places 16 05 06* under discarded chemicals in chapter 16. Its official description covers laboratory chemicals consisting of or containing hazardous substances, including mixtures. It is a mirror hazardous entry, so the waste composition and relevant hazardous properties have to be assessed.
Being used or stored in a laboratory does not make 16 05 06* the correct code for every discarded item. Packaging, equipment and other wastes can fall under different entries and need to be considered on their own source and composition.
Product identity and waste composition
The assessment needs a clear distinction between individual products and mixtures, with quantities, known concentrations and the process that produced any residues. Unused stock should remain identifiable separately from material that has already been used in a process.
Safety data sheets are useful for identifying the original products, but they may not describe used waste once other substances or contaminants have been introduced. Unlabelled or uncertain material should remain recorded as unknown rather than being identified from appearance or neighbouring containers.
Other laboratory chemical entries
Chapter 16 contains other entries for discarded chemicals and laboratory materials. The code therefore follows the WM3 selection process and, for mirror entries, the relevant hazard assessment. There is no general rule that places every laboratory chemical under 16 05 06*.
A CAS number identifies a substance. A List of Waste code identifies an entry in a process-based waste classification system. Neither, on its own, describes the full composition of a mixture or confirms that a receiving facility will accept it.
Classification before collection
The waste must be classified before it is moved. Containment, collection and the receiving facility still have to be appropriate for the actual material. A common waste code does not show that different materials are chemically compatible, so compatibility needs separate consideration.