That skip full of fit-out waste, the weekly collection from your shop, the van taking rubble off site: if something goes wrong later, you may be asked to prove you handed it over properly. A clear waste transfer note is the paperwork that shows you did. Get it right and you have a record you can produce if an officer asks. Skip it and you are left hoping nobody ever asks.
This guide is for businesses and organisations transferring non-hazardous waste in England and Wales. Every fact below comes from official guidance: the Waste duty of care code of practice, gov.uk waste transfer notes, and the free duty of care waste transfer note form. It is not legal advice. Hazardous waste uses a different document — see the consignment note section below.
What a waste transfer note is
When controlled waste moves from one holder to another, the duty of care requires an accurate written description of that waste, agreed and signed by both parties. For non-hazardous waste, that written description is commonly called a waste transfer note.
GOV.UK is clear: for each load of non-hazardous waste you move off your premises, you need a waste transfer note or a document with the same information, such as an invoice. There is no single mandatory layout. You can use the free government form, a note your contractor provides, or your own paperwork — as long as it contains the required information.
Both your business and the business taking your waste need to:
- Fill in the sections that apply to you
- Sign it
- Keep a paper or electronic copy for 2 years
- Show it to an enforcement officer from your local council or the Environment Agency if asked
You must include enough information to help the next holder handle and dispose of the waste safely.
Who needs one
The duty of care applies to anyone who imports, produces, carries, keeps, treats, disposes of, or as a dealer or broker has control of, certain waste in England or Wales. That includes shops, offices, factories, tradespeople, schools, hospitals, charities and community groups.
In practice, if your organisation is transferring non-hazardous waste to another business (a registered carrier, a skip firm, a commercial collector), both sides should complete and keep the transfer documentation.
Householders disposing of household waste from their own home are on a separate, narrower duty: take all reasonable measures to give that waste only to an authorised person. The wider duty of care, including the requirement for waste transfer notes, does not apply to occupiers of domestic property for household waste from that property. Completing a transfer note for waste collected from a house is the collector's responsibility. If you run a business from home, or the waste is commercial, the business rules apply.
A waste information note is not required for non-hazardous waste if the waste holder does not change — for example when waste is moved to other premises belonging to the same business. The code of practice still recommends knowing who is responsible and keeping an internal record for audit.
What must be recorded
The code of practice says the description must be accurate and contain all the information you are reasonably able to provide so later holders can handle, transport, treat, recover or dispose of the waste lawfully and safely. That includes:
- Classification using the appropriate List of Wastes (LoW) or European Waste Catalogue (EWC) codes, plus a written description of the waste
- Quantity and nature, and whether it is loose or in a container
- If in a container, the type of container (for example sacks, skip or drum)
- The time and place of transfer
- The SIC code of the transferor (the current holder of the waste)
- The name and address of the transferor and transferee, and their signatures (electronic signatures are allowed if an enforcement officer can view them)
- The capacity in which each party is acting (for example producer, importer, registered waste carrier, broker or dealer) and their relevant authorisation (permit number or registration number)
- A statement confirming that you have fulfilled your duty to apply the waste hierarchy as required by regulation 12 of the Waste (England and Wales) Regulations 2011
Also think about anything that could cause a problem later: whether the waste needs a special container or particular handling (for example batteries or WEEE), whether it can be mixed with other wastes, whether it is dusty, smelly or otherwise offensive, or whether it shows a hazardous property.
Natural Resources Wales summarises the same core fields for notes completed in Wales: waste description and code, containment, quantity, names and addresses with permit or exemption details and SIC for the transferor, date and place of transfer, and any broker or dealer details.
How long to keep records
Under the code of practice you must keep a copy of the waste description (electronically or on paper) for:
- 2 years for non-hazardous waste
- 2 years for season tickets
- 3 years for hazardous waste consignment notes (different retention periods apply for consignees — see hazardous waste guidance)
GOV.UK also states that both businesses must keep a paper or electronic copy of the waste transfer note for 2 years and show it if asked. If an authorised officer asks for the written description and you fail to provide it, they can issue a fixed penalty notice.
Failure to comply with the duty of care is a criminal offence. There is no upper limit on the fine a court can impose. In some cases a fixed penalty notice may be offered instead of prosecution. The code of practice is admissible as evidence in legal proceedings.
Season tickets (annual waste transfer notes)
For regular transfers of the same type of non-hazardous waste with the same carrier, you can use a season ticket: a single waste transfer note covering a series of transfers for up to one year. GOV.UK also calls this an annual waste transfer note.
You can make your own season ticket by recording the current holder of the waste, the waste carrier and the type of waste. All of those must stay the same for the life of the ticket. If any of them change, you need a new season ticket or a single waste transfer note. You can record the collection site on the season ticket if it will be the same each time.
You also need a separate schedule listing each transfer. That schedule must include, for each collection:
- Date
- Time
- Quantity of waste (for example number of sacks)
- Site of transfer, if collections are from different sites or the site was not already on the season ticket
You can keep the schedule on a spreadsheet or as part of invoicing or weighbridge records. Keep the season ticket and schedule for 2 years after the last waste transfer.
Waste transfer note vs hazardous waste consignment note
Do not use a waste transfer note for hazardous waste. GOV.UK and the code of practice require a consignment note for movements of hazardous waste. That includes collections from businesses by registered carriers, movements between premises in the same business, and movements from the producer's premises.
The code of practice lists only two exceptions where a consignment note is not needed: domestic hazardous waste (other than asbestos waste) removed from a domestic household, and waste imported or exported under international waste shipment controls (which use an equivalent note).
A consignment note must stay with the hazardous waste until it reaches its final destination. Producer or holder records for hazardous waste consignment notes are kept for three years under the code of practice (consignees may have different retention rules).
If you are unsure whether your waste is hazardous, follow the waste classification guidance referred to in the code of practice before you choose which document to use.
Check the carrier before you transfer
Paperwork only helps if the next holder is allowed to take the waste. Before you hand anything over, check they are authorised: a valid registration as a carrier, broker or dealer, or an environmental permit or registered exemption to accept that waste. Ask for evidence and confirm it on the public register.
Check a waste carrier licence on this site · How to check in 3 steps · Why the duty of care matters
If you need a licensed firm to collect, request quotes from registered carriers. If you run a waste business yourself, list or claim your business.
Printable checklist (copy and fill in)
Use this as a blank checklist. It mirrors the fields on the official form and in the code of practice. Leave blanks empty until you fill them with real details — do not invent company names or registration numbers.
Section A — Description of waste
- Written description of the waste: _______________
- List of Waste / EWC code(s): _______________
- How contained (loose / sacks / skip / drum / other): _______________
- Quantity (for example number of sacks or weight): _______________
Section B — Transferor (current holder)
- Full name: _______________
- Company name and address / postcode: _______________
- SIC code (2007): _______________
- Acting as (producer / importer / local authority / permit holder / exemption / registered carrier, broker or dealer): _______________
- Permit, exemption or registration number (if applicable): _______________
- Waste hierarchy confirmation (regulation 12): [ ] confirmed
Section C — Transferee (person collecting)
- Full name: _______________
- Company name and address / postcode: _______________
- Acting as (local authority / permit holder / exemption / registered carrier, broker or dealer): _______________
- Permit, exemption or registration number (if applicable): _______________
Section D — The transfer
- Address of transfer or collection point / postcode: _______________
- Date of transfer (DD/MM/YYYY): _______________
- Time(s): _______________
- Broker or dealer who arranged the transfer (if any) — name, address, registration: _______________
- Transferor signature / name / representing: _______________
- Transferee signature / name / representing: _______________
Prefer the official layout? Download the free Duty of care: waste transfer note form from GOV.UK (fill-on-screen and print versions). If you fill it on screen, print it and sign it. More background is on Dispose of business or commercial waste.
Quick answers
Can an invoice replace a waste transfer note?
Yes, if it contains all the required information. The code of practice allows alternative documentation for non-hazardous waste as long as the description is complete and signed by both parties.
Do I need a new note every time?
For one-off transfers, yes — one note (or equivalent) per load moved off your premises. For repeated identical transfers with the same carrier, a season ticket plus a schedule can cover up to a year.
What if I only move waste between my own sites?
A waste information note is not required for non-hazardous waste when the waste holder does not change. Keep an internal record anyway so responsibilities are clear.
Where do I check the carrier is registered?
Search on Check My Waste Carrier, then confirm on the Environment Agency public register for England. Wales uses the Natural Resources Wales register.
Sources: gov.uk waste transfer notes, Waste duty of care code of practice, duty of care waste transfer note form, hazardous waste consignment notes. Always follow the current official guidance.