Waste fuel guides for dismantlers and commercial sites

Waste fuel guides by topic

Rules and paperwork

• Is drained fuel hazardous waste?

  Yes.

• Which waste code is used for mixed petrol and diesel?

  The usual waste code for mixed fuel, meaning petrol and diesel drained together, is 13 07 03*: "other fuels (including mixtures)".

• What paperwork do you get when waste fuel is collected?

  Every collection travels with a consignment note for waste fuel: a hazardous waste consignment note in England and Wales, or a special waste consignment note in Scotland.

• What is your duty of care when waste fuel is collected?

  Your duty of care for waste fuel means taking reasonable steps to keep it safe until it leaves your site, describing it accurately, handing it only to a registered waste carrier, making sure it goes to a site permitted to take it, and keeping the paperwork.

• What does digital waste tracking mean for dismantlers?

  Digital waste tracking for dismantlers began on 1 October 2026 in England and Wales.

Storage and safety

• How should dismantlers store drained fuel?

  Storing drained fuel safely comes down to five things: sound, sealed and labelled containers; an impermeable surface with a bund that can hold a leak; distance from anything that could ignite petrol vapour; staying within your permit's storage limits; and booking collections before containers fill up.

• Why is stored waste petrol a fire risk?

  Stored waste petrol is a fire risk because it gives off flammable vapour even in freezing weather, and the vapour is heavier than air, so it can spread along the ground to a spark or flame some distance away.

• Which containers make waste fuel easiest to collect?

  The easiest waste fuel containers to collect from are sound, closed bulk containers that a collection vehicle can reach: IBCs, tanks and bowsers.

Value and planning

• Does water in waste fuel reduce its value?

  Yes.

• How to work out how much waste fuel you have

  To work out how much waste fuel you have, count the containers and estimate how full each one is: an IBC holds 1,000 litres and a standard drum 205 litres.

• One-off clear-out or regular fuel collections?

  Regular fuel collections suit sites that produce waste fuel steadily, such as vehicle dismantlers and busy garages: fuel never builds up, storage stays within permit limits and collections can fit a planned route.

• What happens to waste fuel after it is collected?

  What happens to waste fuel after collection: it travels on a consignment note to a permitted facility, such as our Droylsden site in Manchester, where it is checked and recorded.

Every guide is written by City Fuel Services and checked against the official guidance it links to. The month each one was last checked is shown on the guide.

Official guidance: GOV.UK: hazardous waste; SEPA: special waste.