A Waste Transfer Note (WTN) is a document required to transport waste. It serves to ensure that the transporter has explicit knowledge and understanding of the type and quantity of hazardous waste being transported, as well as where it is going and why. Due to the legalities of WTNs, there are several waste transfer note requirements you must follow.
Waste Transfer Notes must be kept for two years, and you must produce them when requested by your local council or environmental regulator. Waste Transfer Note requirements that aren’t followed may result in a fine. This ensures a standardised and transparent audit trail of waste from its source to where it’s disposed of.
There is no required format for duty of care waste transfer note forms, and many companies will produce their own. A common one used in the UK is GOV.UK waste transfer note, which we have included below:
WTM requirements are there to ensure waste is correctly documented upon disposal. They also ensure that whoever you pass your waste onto is legally allowed to process the type of waste you give them. To learn more about who can deal with waste, check out this webpage by the Environment Agency.
The WTN must be appropriately filled and signed by both parties with the following information:
Waste transfer documents are a legal requirement that many businesses do not know they must fill in and store for two years. From 28/09/2011, a transfer note must conform with the conditions laid down by the Waste (England and Wales) Regulations 2011.
They were brought in place to control how waste was being disposed of, and you can be requested by both your local council and the environmental agency to provide one. These requirements are backed up by law, so be sure to follow the most up to date legislation.
The only exception for a waste transfer note is when you get given household waste directly from the inhabitants that produced it - such as when someone drops off household waste to a skip. You will, however, need a WTN when that waste is passed onto another party.
If your waste is hazardous, you must create a hazardous waste consignment note. A hazardous waste consignment note is essentially a more detailed WTN. It is more detailed because it covers the transfer of waste that contains hazardous material such as medical waste.
Repeat transfers can be streamlined with less manual paperwork by using a WTN season ticket. A season ticket covers many transfers for up to 12 months. A season ticket can be used if all of the below stays the same:
If any of the above changes during the 12 months, a new WTF will be required, and the season ticket will be void.
An annual waste transfer note is a single note that covers many transfers throughout up to a year. An annual waste transfer note is just another term for a Waste Transfer Note Season Ticket.
You must keep a separate list of the date and amount of waste transferred under an annual note. This can be done by noting each transfer on a spreadsheet or keeping it in your records (invoice, weighbridge, etc.). Any collection software should also provide this record for you.
The Waste Regulations (England and Wales) 2014 allows emails, invoices, and alternative documentation as a WTN. But the legal requirements for what needs to be provided upon request stays the same.
Filling a PDF form out online or on paper manually can be slow. The best waste transfer note apps allow you to collect all the information you need to be compliant without the manual work associated with WTNs.
Waste Transfer Note apps also give you the reports your business requires for compliance while replacing all of the unstandardised Excel spreadsheets much of the information is typically held upon.
To find out more, get in touch with the RECOVAR Team.
The Waste Transfer Note is a document that accompanies a shipment of waste and documents the transfer from one person or company to another. The Waste Transfer Note is often required by law in many countries, including the UK. The purpose of this note is to provide proof that a shipment was transferred according to regulations and that it has been disposed of properly at its destination.
Feel free to check out the below links to find out more about WTNs and your responsibilities, as well as to find out the SIC code of your business (a requirement of waste transfer notes).
GOV.UK – Duty of Care Waste Transfer Note Forms on the official Government website.
SEPA – Zero Waste Guidance Note – What is your Duty of Care? (Brought together by SEPA, Scottish Environment Protection Agency).
DOENI – Waste Duty of Care article by The Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs.
Companies House Guide to SIC Codes - Nature of business: Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) codes from the official Government website.