What happens to red diesel recovered from a spill clean-up?
In brief
Fuel pumped or skimmed up after a spill is often mixed with water, soil, absorbents or debris. Once collected, waste gas oil is tested, dewatered and filtered like diesel, then recovered into fuel use or refinery feedstock. Call 07950 582635 or send an enquiry.
Testing red diesel after collection
A clear jar sample shows water and sediment; red colour confirms marked fuel. Laboratory tests measure water, flash point and microbial contamination, and HMRC can test for the markers.
Red diesel from a spill clean-up: what to do first
Keep recovered liquid separate from used absorbents and soil, in closed containers, and record what was spilled and where. Closed, labelled containers in a bunded area; absorbents in sealed bags or drums.
How City Fuel Services handles waste red diesel
Send us the five details: business and postcode, roughly how much waste red diesel there is, what it is and any contamination, how it is stored and reached, and whether you need one collection or regular ones. We assess it, confirm a rebate or a collection charge, and collect on a consignment note.
Terms used in this answer
- Consignment note
- The document that travels with hazardous waste from the producer to the receiving site. Each person in the chain completes and signs their part.
- Digital Waste Tracking
- The government's online service for recording waste movements. Permitted sites receiving waste in England and Wales have had to use it since 1 October 2026.
| Situation | From a spill clean-up |
|---|---|
| Priority | Promptly, so the spill does not spread or recur. |
| Fuel | Red diesel |
| Also called | gas oil, rebated diesel, marked gas oil |
| Waste code | 13 07 01* (fuel oil and diesel) |
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Official guidance: GOV.UK: hazardous waste.