Reference Only
Explosive
Oxidising
Flammable
Irritant — skin and eye irritation
Specific target organ toxicity / Aspiration toxicity
Acute toxic
Carcinogenic
Corrosive
Infectious
Toxic for reproduction
Mutagenic
Release of an acutely toxic gas
Sensitising
Ecotoxic
Waste capable of exhibiting a hazardous property not directly displayed by the original waste
Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs)
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HP codes are built into WasteBolt — select them at the click of a button. DWT 2026 submission included.
What Are Hazardous Waste HP Codes?
HP codes (Hazardous Properties) are the 16 classification criteria used to determine whether a waste stream is legally hazardous in the UK. Defined under the Hazardous Waste Regulations 2005 and aligned with DEFRA's Digital Waste Tracking system, they cover properties from explosive and flammable through to ecotoxic and carcinogenic.
A waste only needs to exhibit one HP property to be classified as hazardous. At that point it must be consigned on a Hazardous Waste Consignment Note — not a standard Waste Transfer Note — and carried by a licensed hazardous waste carrier. EWC codes ending with an asterisk (*) indicate waste types where HP codes are likely to apply.
HP Codes Every Waste Carrier Should Know
While all 16 HP codes matter, some are triggered far more frequently in day-to-day UK waste operations:
- HP14Ecotoxic — one of the most commonly triggered codes. Catches contaminated soils, solvents, and many industrial residues that could harm aquatic or terrestrial organisms.
- HP4Irritant — applies to many cleaning product, chemical, and laboratory waste streams. Often paired with HP6 for stronger chemical wastes.
- HP6Acute Toxic — waste containing substances that are toxic if inhaled, ingested, or absorbed through skin, even in small quantities.
- HP_POPPersistent Organic Pollutants — waste containing chemicals such as PFOS, PFOA, PCBs or dioxins that persist in the environment. POPs must now be declared even on non-hazardous Waste Transfer Notes under DWT 2026 rules.
HP Codes and Digital Waste Tracking 2026
From October 2026, mandatory Digital Waste Tracking (DWT) requires every hazardous waste movement to be submitted to the DEFRA national tracking system. HP codes are a required field in every DWT consignment note submission — without them, the submission will be rejected.
Businesses using WasteBolt already have HP codes built into their digital consignment note workflow. When HP codes are selected on a note, the DWT submission payload is automatically formatted to DEFRA's specification — no manual data re-entry required. See the full POPs chemical list for the substances triggering HP_POP.
How HP Codes Appear on Consignment Notes
On a Hazardous Waste Consignment Note (Part C), the applicable HP codes are declared alongside the EWC code, physical form, quantity, and disposal/recovery code. Multiple HP codes can apply to the same waste stream — for example, a solvent waste may be simultaneously HP3 (Flammable), HP6 (Acute Toxic), and HP14 (Ecotoxic). WasteBolt lets you select all applicable codes from a built-in picker, and the free WTN generator includes HP code fields for hazardous notes.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are HP codes in waste classification?
HP codes (Hazardous Properties) are 16 criteria used to determine if a waste is hazardous under UK law. They cover properties like explosive, flammable, toxic, carcinogenic, and ecotoxic. A waste exhibiting any one of these properties must be consigned as hazardous.
How many HP codes are there in the UK?
There are 16 HP codes: HP1 through HP15 covering the main hazardous property types, plus HP_POP which specifically addresses Persistent Organic Pollutants. All 16 are listed in the searchable table above.
What happens if I transport hazardous waste without the correct HP codes on the consignment note?
Carrying hazardous waste without a correctly completed consignment note (including HP code declarations) is an offence under the Hazardous Waste Regulations 2005. The Environment Agency can issue fixed penalty notices, stop movements, and pursue prosecution resulting in unlimited fines.
Do HP codes affect Digital Waste Tracking (DWT) submissions?
Yes. From October 2026, mandatory DWT requires HP code classifications to be included in every hazardous waste submission to DEFRA. WasteBolt automatically maps selected HP codes into the correct DWT payload fields.
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