The European Waste Catalogue (acronym EWC) refers to a set (although non-exhaustive) list of wastes that are derived from both households and businesses inside the European Union. The EWC is used to derive a code (six numbers in 3 sets of 2) that adequately describes the waste being transported, handled or treated. The EWC is used where Duty of Care Notices or Waste Transfer Notes are passed between waste management companies, waste carriers and to report volumes received or treated back to the governing agency (such as the Environment Agency in England and Wales, Scottish Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA) in Scotland, Northern Ireland (NI) Environment Agency, etc.).
