Waste that needs to be tracked
Waste consignors must determine if their hazardous waste must be tracked during transport and disposal.
Does your waste need to be tracked?
- Table 1 lists waste descriptions and codes for the types of waste that must be tracked when transported within NSW or interstate. Get these from the characterisation of the waste
- Table 2 lists wastes that must be tracked when transported interstate only.
- Schedule 1 of the Protection of the Environment (Waste) Regulation 2014 also identifies what types of waste must be tracked.
Table 1: Waste descriptions and codes for waste that must be tracked when transported within NSW or interstate
| Waste description | Waste code |
| Acidic solutions or acids in solid form | B100 |
| Antimony; antimony compounds | D170 |
| Arsenic; arsenic compounds | D130 |
| Barium compounds (excluding barium sulphate) | D290 |
| Basic solutions or bases in solid form | C100 |
| Beryllium; beryllium compounds | D160 |
| Boron compounds | D310 |
| Cadmium; cadmium compounds | D150 |
| Ceramic-based fibres with physico-chemical characteristics similar to those of asbestos | N230 |
| Chlorates | D350 |
| Chromium compounds (hexavalent and trivalent) | D140 |
| Clinical and related wastes | R100 |
| Cobalt compounds | D200 |
| Containers and drums that are contaminated with residues of substances referred to in this list | N100 |
| Copper compounds | D190 |
| Cyanides (inorganic) | A130 |
| Cyanides (organic) | M210 |
| Encapsulated, chemically-fixed, solidified or polymerised wastes that are referred to in this Part | N160 |
| Ethers | G100 |
| Filter cake contaminated with residues of substances that are referred to in this Part | N190 |
| Fire debris and fire wash waters | N140 |
| Fly ash | N150 |
| Halogenated organic solvents | G150 |
| Highly odorous organic chemicals (including mercaptans and acrylates) | M260 |
| Inorganic fluorine compounds excluding calcium fluoride | D110 |
| Inorganic sulfides | D330 |
| Isocyanate compounds | M220 |
| Lead; lead compounds | D220 |
| Mercury; mercury compounds | D120 |
| Metal carbonyls | D100 |
| Nickel compounds | D210 |
| Non-toxic salts | D300 |
| Organic phosphorous compounds | H110 |
| Organic solvents excluding halogenated solvents | G110 |
Organo halogen compounds—other than substances referred to in this Table or Table 2 Oxidising agents | M160 |
| Perchlorates | D340 |
| Phenols, phenol compounds including chlorophenols | M150 |
| Phosphorus compounds excluding mineral phosphates | D360 |
| Polychlorinated dibenzo-furan (any congener) | M170 |
Polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxin (any congener) Reactive chemicals | M180 |
| Residues from industrial waste treatment/ | |
disposal operations Reducing agents | N205 |
| Selenium; selenium compounds | D240 |
| Soils contaminated with a substance or waste referred to in this Table | N120 |
| Surface active agents (surfactants), containing principally organic constituents and which may contain metals and inorganic materials | M250 |
| Tellurium; tellurium compounds | D250 |
| Thallium; thallium compounds | D180 |
| Triethylamine catalysts for setting foundry sands | M230 |
| Vanadium compounds | D270 |
| Waste chemical substances arising from research and development or teaching activities, including those which are not identified and/or are new and whose effects on human health and/or the environment are not known | T100 |
| Waste containing peroxides other than hydrogen peroxide | E100 |
| Waste from heat treatment and tempering operations | |
| containing cyanides | A110 |
| Waste from manufacture, formulation and use of | |
| wood-preserving chemicals | H170 |
| Waste from the production, formulation and use of | |
| biocides and phytopharmaceuticals | H100 |
| Waste from the production, formulation and use of inks, | |
| dyes, pigments, paints, lacquers and varnish | F100 |
| Waste from the production, formulation and use of organic solvents | G160 |
| Waste from the production, formulation and use of photographic chemicals and processing materials | T120 |
| Waste from the production, formulation and use of resins, latex, plasticisers, glues and adhesives | F110 |
| Waste from the production and preparation of pharmaceutical products | R140 |
| Waste mineral oils unfit for their original intended use | J100 |
| Waste oil/water, hydrocarbons/water mixtures or emulsions | J120 |
| Waste pharmaceuticals, drugs and medicines | R120 |
| Waste resulting from surface treatment of metals and plastics | A100 |
| Waste tarry residues arising from refining, distillation, and any pyrolytic treatment | J160 |
| Waste substances and articles containing or contaminated with polychlorinated biphenyls, polychlorinated napthalenes, polychlorinated terphenyls and/or polybrominated | |
| biphenyls | M100 |
| Waste of an explosive nature not subject to other legislation | T200 |
| Zinc compounds | D230 |
Table 2: Waste descriptions and codes for waste that must be tracked when transported interstate only
| Waste description | Waste code |
| Animal effluent and residues (abattoir effluent, poultry and fish processing wastes) | K100 |
| Asbestos | N220 |
| Containers and drums that are contaminated with residues of waste referred to in this Table | N100 |
| Grease trap waste | K110 |
| Soils contaminated with a substance or waste referred to in this Table | N120 |
| Tannery wastes including leather dust, ash, sludges and flours | K140 |
| Tyres | T140 |
| Wool scouring wastes | K190 |
Hazard characteristics and dangerous goods properties of trackable waste
If the waste to be transported does not appear in Tables 1 or 2 but has the hazard characteristics described in Table 3, the waste must be tracked. Table 3 also provides the Dangerous Goods Class and UN Code that you can get from the characterisation of the waste.
If the waste does not exhibit any of the hazard characteristics in Table 3, it does not need to be tracked.
It is the waste consignor’s responsibility to show that the waste does not exhibit any of the hazardous characteristics in Table 3, if they decide not to track the waste.
Table 3: Hazardous characteristics and dangerous goods properties
| Dangerous Goods Class (UN Class) | UN Code | Characteristics |
| 1 | H1 | Explosive: Solid or liquid substance or waste (or mixture of substances or wastes) which can, through the chemical reaction of producing gas at such a temperature and pressure and at such a speed, damage the surroundings. |
| 3 | H3 | Flammable liquids: The word ’flammable‘ has the same meaning as ’inflammable‘. Flammable liquids are liquids, or mixtures of liquids, or liquids containing solids in solution or suspension (for example, paints, varnishes, lacquers) but not including substances or wastes, which give off flammable vapour at temperatures of 60.5 degrees Celsius or less using the closed-cup test, or of 65.6 degree Celsius or less using the open-cup test. |
| 4.1 | H4.1 | Flammable solids: Solids or waste solids which when transported are readily combustible, or may cause or contribute to fire through friction. |
| 4.2 | H4.2 | Substances or wastes liable to spontaneous combustion: Substances or wastes which can spontaneously combust when transported, or heat up in contact with air and then catch fire. |
| 4.3 | H4.3 | Substances or wastes which, in contact with water, emit flammable gases: Substances or wastes which, by interacting with water, are liable to become spontaneously flammable or emit flammable gases in dangerous quantities. |
| 5.1 | H5.1 | Oxidising: Substances or wastes which, while not necessarily combustible, may, generally by emitting oxygen, cause or contribute to the combustion of other materials. |
| 5.2 | H5.2 | Organic peroxides: Organic substances or wastes which contain the bivalent-O-O structure are thermally unstable and may undergo exothermic self-accelerating decomposition. |
| 6.1 | H6.1 | Poisonous (acute): Substances or wastes liable to cause death or serious injury through skin contact, or harm human health if swallowed or inhaled. |
| 6.2 | H6.2 | Infectious substances: Substances or wastes containing viable micro-organisms or their toxins which are known or suspected to cause disease in animals or humans. |
| 8 | H8 | Corrosives: Substances or wastes which, through chemical action, will cause severe damage when in contact with living tissue, or in the case of leakage, will materially damage, or even destroy, other goods or the means of transport; they may also cause other hazards. |
| 9 | H10 | Toxic gases in contact with air or water: Substances or waste which, when in contact with air or water, are liable to give off toxic gases in dangerous quantities. |
| 9 | H11 | Toxic (delayed or chronic): Substances or wastes which, if they are inhaled or ingested or if they penetrate the skin, may involve delayed or chronic effects including carcinogenity. |
| 9 | H12 | Ecotoxic: Substances or wastes which, if released, have or may have immediate or delayed adverse impacts on the environment through bioaccumulation, or toxic effects on biotic systems. |
| 9 | H13 | Could emit another material which possesses H1–H12: Substances or wastes which, after disposal, could emit another material, e.g. leachate, which possesses any of the characteristics listed above. |
Other reasons
Could have a significant adverse impact on ambient air quality.
Could have a significant adverse impact on ambient marine, estuarine or fresh water quality.
Note: UN Class and UN Code relate to the hazard classification system included in the United Nations Recommendations on the Transport of Dangerous Goods as used in Australia.
The EPA’s online tracking system is an easy, quick way of creating relevant documents and meeting waste tracking requirements
When waste does not need to be tracked
The EPA exempts certain types of waste from some or all tracking requirements under certain circumstances.
In addition, waste does not have to be tracked under the following conditions
- waste is being transported in an emergency to protect human health, the environment or property
- waste is being transported for analysis relating to waste categorisation or research; in this instance, the transportation and use of waste must have been approved by the EPA
- waste is being transported by pipeline
- residue of a substance is being transported in a container, if the container will be refilled with the same type of substance and the substance in the refilled container is intended for reuse
- a farm’s owner or occupier are transporting unwanted chemicals from a farm to a collection place provided by a collection scheme approved in writing by the EPA
- waste is being transported in accordance with a product recall approved by the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority, Food Standards Australia New Zealand or the Therapeutic Goods Administration of the Commonwealth