Hazardous property code
HP 1 Explosive
Waste that can cause dangerous chemical reactions, producing gas that can damage surroundings (e.g., pyrotechnic or self-reactive waste).
HP 1 covers waste that can react to release gas at a temperature, pressure and speed that causes damage — the property is about the reaction the material is capable of, not about whether it has been provoked into one.
On a consignment note it is recorded as one of the hazard codes for the load. Because assignment turns on the substances actually present and their concentrations rather than on the waste's EWC entry, it is the producer's assessment that decides whether it applies.
- Code
- HP 1
- DEFRA code
- HP_1
Sourced from DEFRA’s digital waste tracking reference data, last checked 25 July 2026.
EWC codes that commonly carry this hazard property
4 entries from the UK List of Wastes.
These are EWC entries that typically carry this hazard property, not a determination that any particular load does. Under WM3, whether a hazard property applies depends on the substances actually present and their concentrations — the producer is responsible for assessing each consignment.
- 16 01 10explosive components (for example air bags)hazardousPyrotechnic explosive components (e.g. airbag inflators, seat-belt pretensioners) — explosive by design.
- 16 04 01waste ammunitionhazardousWaste ammunition — explosive by design.
- 16 04 02fireworks wasteshazardousFireworks waste — explosive by design.
- 16 04 03other waste explosiveshazardousOther waste explosives — explosive by definition.
Related
Recording HP 1 on real paperwork?
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