- List of Waste code
- 15 02 02*
- WM3 entry type
- Mirror hazardous
- Official description
- Absorbents, filter materials (including oil filters not otherwise specified), wiping cloths, protective clothing contaminated by hazardous substances
- Jurisdiction note
- WM3 GB reference; check national requirements for the site
Absorbents covered by 15 02 02*
This entry covers the absorbent and related materials named in the official description when they are contaminated by hazardous substances. The fact that an item is a cloth, pad, filter or disposable garment does not decide the code by itself. The contaminant and the process that produced the waste matter.
WM3 identifies 15 02 02* as a mirror hazardous entry. It has to be considered with its mirror alternative and the relevant hazardous-property assessment, rather than used as a general code for any dirty or used absorbent material.
Contaminants and process history
For absorbents used after a spill, the useful evidence includes the spilled substance and any cleaning products that became part of the waste. For routine wipes or filters, the work carried out and the products used provide the context for an accurate waste description.
An original product SDS can support the assessment, but recovered material may contain more than one substance. A supplier sheet for a single oil, solvent or cleaning product should not be treated as a complete description of a mixed waste stream.
The mirror entry and related filters
The official description includes oil filters not otherwise specified. That wording matters because a more specific entry may apply elsewhere in the List of Waste. Code selection follows the source and the List of Waste structure, not the first description containing the word filter.
The paired entry 15 02 03 covers absorbents, filter materials, wiping cloths and protective clothing other than those mentioned in 15 02 02. The choice between the mirror entries depends on the assessment. A material being dry, or having no visible free liquid, does not settle that assessment.
Keeping waste streams identifiable
The contaminants and physical condition of the waste affect how it is contained and whether a receiving facility can accept it. Keeping materials from different activities separate also preserves the information needed for classification instead of turning several distinct wastes into one poorly described mixed stream.