Hazardous waste is waste in a solid or liquid state, or a combination, which displays one or more of the hazardous properties listed in the Second Schedule of the Waste Management Acts 1996-2013. There are a total of 15 properties of waste which render it hazardous.
The European Waste Catalogue (EWC) and Hazardous Waste List also distinguishes between hazardous and non hazardous wastes through the addition of an asterisk “*” at the end of the six digit code (e.g. the EWC code for healthcare risk waste from human healthcare is 180103*). The catalogue can be downloaded from the Agency website
Hazardous waste requires specialist handling so that it does not pose a substantial present or potential hazard to human health or the environment when improperly treated, stored, transported, or disposed of.
The transport of dangerous goods by road, which includes certain hazardous wastes, is governed by the ADR (European Agreement Concerning the International Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Road). The ADR also applies to the related packing, loading, filling and unloading of the dangerous goods. See more ot the Health & Safety Authority website