Waste Transfer Note

Required content of a waste transfer note

A compliant note needs enough detail to identify the waste and the parties. The core fields are:

• A description of the waste that is clear enough for someone else to understand. Trade names alone are not enough.
• The List of Waste code, also called the EWC code, for the stream.
• The quantity and how it is contained, for example loose, in a skip, in drums or in a tanker.
• The SIC code of the premises producing the waste.
• The name and address of the waste holder and the receiving party.
• The carrier registration details, including the waste carrier, broker or dealer registration number.
• The place and date of transfer.
• A declaration about the waste hierarchy, confirming the transfer follows the waste management options in order of preference.
• Signatures from the parties, which may be electronic where the system supports them.

The description and code need to match the actual material. A code chosen from a name alone can be wrong, because classification depends on composition, process and contamination. The Environment Agency’s waste classification technical guidance, WM3, is the reference for that assessment. A transfer note records the outcome of classification; it does not replace it.

Season tickets and repeat transfers

A season ticket is a single transfer note that covers repeated transfers of the same non-hazardous waste between the same holder and the same carrier. It can run for up to 12 months. The waste type, the holder and the carrier must stay the same for the ticket to remain valid. If any of those change, a new note is needed.

Season tickets suit regular collections where the material is consistent, such as a weekly cardboard or dry mixed recycling collection. They do not suit one-off projects, mixed loads that vary in composition, or streams where the code changes with the process. Where a skip contains a mix of materials, the description must still reflect what is in the container.

Retention for a season ticket is two years from the date the last transfer took place. That is longer than the ticket’s own 12-month life, so the record stays available after the arrangement ends.

Differences across the UK nations

The rules are not identical across the UK. In England and Wales, the Waste (England and Wales) Regulations 2011 set the transfer note requirements. Scotland operates under its own waste regulations and duty of care code, and Northern Ireland has separate hazardous waste and duty of care rules. The regulators also differ: the Environment Agency in England, Natural Resources Wales in Wales, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency in Scotland, and the Northern Ireland Environment Agency.

If your operations cross borders, you may need to follow more than one code. A note that satisfies one nation’s requirements may not satisfy another’s. Check the rules for each site where waste is produced, held or transferred, and confirm the current position with the relevant regulator before relying on a template.

Digital waste tracking and transfer notes

Digital waste tracking is being introduced in phases across the UK. From 1 October 2026, permitted or licensed receiving sites in England and Wales must report controlled waste they receive through the new service. Scotland and Northern Ireland are due to bring this receiving-site requirement into force from 1 January 2027. Existing waste transfer notes and hazardous waste consignment notes continue alongside the digital service until further notice. See GOV.UK digital waste tracking guidance.

Businesses affected by digital tracking should check that their waste descriptions and codes are accurate, because the digital record depends on the same underlying data. Our digital waste tracking page covers the phased rollout in more detail.

Common problems with transfer notes

Most issues come down to description and consistency. A note that says “general waste” or “mixed rubbish” is too vague. A code copied from a previous note may no longer match the process. A carrier’s registration number may be out of date. A season ticket may be used after the waste type has changed.

Other problems include missing SIC codes, unsigned notes, and quantities that do not match the container. Where a note is completed by hand on site, the handwriting needs to be readable. Where it is generated by a system, the fields need to be complete before the vehicle leaves.

If you are reviewing your records, our waste duty of care checker produces a nation-specific collection checklist. It gives questions to ask and points to check. It is not a regulatory certification and does not replace advice from the relevant regulator.

Where transfer notes fit in waste management

A transfer note is one part of a wider waste management system. It sits alongside classification, carrier checks, receiving site permits and internal reporting. For regular industrial streams, the note is often the most visible record, but it depends on decisions made earlier: how the waste is segregated, how it is stored, and how it is described.

We can help with waste transfer note content for non-hazardous streams, and with the classification and collection arrangements that sit behind it. Our industrial waste collection and waste audit pages explain how those arrangements are reviewed. For streams that may be hazardous, the consignment note route applies instead, and classification should be confirmed before any transfer.