Statistical Classification of Economic Activities NACE Rev. 2.1

This class includes the disposal and treatment prior to disposal of solid or non-solid non-hazardous waste:
- operation of landfills for the disposal of non-hazardous waste
- disposal of non-hazardous waste by combustion or incineration or other methods, with or without the resulting production of electricity or steam, compost, substitute fuels, biogas, ashes or other by-products for further use etc.
- treatment of organic waste for disposal

This class excludes:
- incineration and combustion of hazardous waste, see 38.22
- operation of facilities where commingled recoverable materials such as paper, plastics, used beverage cans and metals, are sorted into distinct categories, see 38.32
- decontamination, clean up of land, water, toxic material abatement, see 39.00

This class includes dismantling of wrecks of any type (automobiles, ships, computers, televisions and other equipment) for materials recovery.

This class excludes:
- disposal of used goods such as refrigerators to eliminate harmful waste, see 38.22
- dismantling of automobiles, ships, computers, televisions and other equipment to obtain re-sell usable parts, see section G

This class includes the processing of metal and non-metal waste and scrap and other articles into secondary raw materials, usually involving a mechanical or chemical transformation process.

Examples of the mechanical or chemical transformation processes that are undertaken are:
- mechanical crushing of metal waste from used cars, washing machines, bikes etc.
- mechanical reduction of large iron pieces such as railway wagons
- shredding of metal waste, end-of-life vehicles etc.
- other methods of mechanical treatment as cutting, pressing to reduce the volume
- reclaiming metals out of photographic waste, e.g. fixer solution or photographic films and paper
- reclaiming of rubber such as used tyres to produce secondary raw material
- sorting and pelleting of plastics to produce secondary raw material for tubes, flower pots, pallets and the like
- processing (cleaning, melting, grinding) of plastic or rubber waste to granulates
- crushing, cleaning and sorting of glass
- crushing, cleaning and sorting of other waste such as demolition waste to obtain secondary raw material
- processing of used cooking oils and fats into secondary raw materials
- processing of other food, beverage and tobacco waste and residual substances into secondary raw materials
Also included is the recovery of materials from waste streams in the form of (1) separating and sorting recoverable materials from non-hazardous waste streams (i.e. garbage) or (2) the separating and sorting of commingled recoverable materials, such as paper, plastics, used beverage cans and metals, into distinct categories.
This class excludes:
- manufacture of new final products from (whether or not self-manufactured) secondary raw materials, such as spinning yarn from garnetted stock, making pulp from paper waste, retreading tyres or production of metal from metal scrap, see corresponding classes in section C (Manufacturing)
- reprocessing of nuclear fuels, see 20.13
- remelting ferrous waste and scrap, see 24.10
- materials recovery during waste combustion or incineration process, see 38.2
- treatment and disposal of non-hazardous waste, see 38.21
- treatment of organic waste for disposal, including production of compost, see 38.21
- energy recovery during non-hazardous waste incineration process, see 38.21
- treatment and disposal of transition radioactive waste from hospitals etc., see 38.22
- treatment and disposal of toxic, contaminated waste, see 38.22
- wholesale of recoverable materials, see 46.77