Booking a waste collection and watching the van drive away doesn’t mean the paperwork side is finished for the staff you employed.
Every professional waste collection in the UK should come with a specific legal document: the waste transfer note.
If you’ve never seen one, or you’re not sure whether the company you’re about to hire will issue one, this is waste transfer notes explained.
What a WTN is, what goes on it, who needs it, and what happens if it’s missing.
Waste transfer notes explained by a Glasgow rubbish removal
A waste transfer note (WTN) is a legal document that records the transfer of waste from one party to another.
Under the Environmental Protection Act 1990, every waste producer has a waste duty of care: a legal obligation to make sure waste is handled, transported, and disposed of correctly.
The WTN is how you demonstrate you met that obligation.
When waste is being transferred from a waste producer to a licensed waste carrier or waste broker, a WTN must be completed, signed by both parties, and retained.
The document creates an audit trail from the moment waste leaves your property through to the point where it’s recovered or disposed of safely, whether that’s through recycling, recovery, or waste disposal at a licensed site.
Waste transfer note requirements
A standard waste transfer note must include enough information to identify both the waste and everyone involved. The document must contain:
- A description of the waste, including how it was produced and the type of waste being transferred
- The European Waste Catalogue (EWC) code for the waste type
- The quantity of waste collected
- The name and address of the waste producer and the waste carrier
- The carrier’s registration number confirming they are a registered carrier of controlled waste
- The date the waste is transferred
- Signatures from both parties
Both parties must fill in and sign the document.
Physical or digital copies are both acceptable, and both the person receiving the waste and the waste producer need to keep a copy.
EWC codes
The European Waste Catalogue (EWC) is a standardised list of waste types used across the UK.
Each entry has a six-digit code that describes exactly what type of waste it is and where it came from.
Your WTN must include the right EWC code, and your carrier will guide you through this on your behalf.
How to complete a waste transfer note
You must complete a waste transfer note at or before the point of collection, not after the waste has left the site.
Most licensed waste carriers bring a template already filled in for the standard fields, and the waste producer signs to confirm the details are correct.
A waste transfer note template is available from GOV.UK for England and Wales, though most Scottish carriers use their own version formatted to the same requirements.
Both parties keep a signed copy.
If you’re disposing of waste through multiple carriers or at different times, each individual transfer needs its own documentation unless a season ticket agreement is already in place.
Who needs a waste transfer note?
Any business waste producer that uses a third party to collect its waste needs a WTN.
When waste is produced in the course of business, whether that’s business waste from an office clearance, food waste from a restaurant, or bulky items from a commercial property, a WTN must accompany each collection.
For household waste collected by a private carrier, the carrier is responsible for completing the document, but you as the waste producer are responsible for making sure you receive a copy.
If you hire a commercial junk removal company and they don’t issue a WTN, that’s a clear sign the carrier may not be operating legally.
The annual waste transfer note and season ticket waste transfer note
Completing a new WTN for every single collection isn’t practical for businesses with regular waste collections. The annual waste transfer note, also called a season ticket, solves this.
You use a season ticket when the same waste carrier collects the same type of waste from the same address on a recurring basis.
A single document can cover multiple transfers over a period of up to 12 months, with both the waste producer and the waste carrier signing once rather than for each individual collection.
Even with a season ticket in place, you also need to keep a separate record for each collection. The season ticket replaces the per-collection WTN, but you still need to log each transfer.
If the waste collected at different times varies significantly in type or quantity, a single waste transfer note may not cover it and individual WTNs are needed.
How long must waste transfer notes be kept?
WTNs for non-hazardous waste must be kept for at least two years from the date of the transfer. Both the waste producer and the carrier must retain copies of all WTNs, whether they’re stored physically or digitally.
There’s no requirement to keep the originals as long as the copy is legible and accurate.
Keep your waste transfer notes in a format you can retrieve quickly. Without a valid waste transfer note, there’s nothing to show SEPA or local authorities that your waste duty of care was met if you’re ever asked. A missing or incomplete WTN leaves you with no audit trail.
Waste transfer notes and hazardous waste consignment notes
Hazardous waste requires a separate document.
A standard waste transfer note covers non-hazardous waste. For hazardous waste, the law requires a hazardous waste consignment note instead, which records the classification of the hazardous material, the destination facility’s permit or exemption details, and the route the waste is taking.
Hazardous waste consignment notes must be kept for three years, not two.
Before any collection, check the list of wastes in the European Waste Catalogue if you’re unsure whether what you’re disposing of counts as hazardous. If your collection includes electrical goods, certain chemicals, or other controlled materials, ask your carrier before handing over the waste.
Most house clearances and standard commercial clearances involve non-hazardous waste.
WEEE disposal (waste electrical and electronic equipment) follows different routes and your carrier should flag this before collection rather than treating it as standard.
Waste transfer notes in Scotland
In Scotland, waste management is regulated by SEPA (the Scottish Environment Protection Agency), and the registration and enforcement routes are different.
Any business taking your waste commercially in Scotland must be registered with SEPA as an authorised carrier.
The requirement covers every organisation that disposes of controlled waste as part of its business, and SEPA’s register is how you verify waste is being handled legally before you hand anything over.
Before booking a collection, check that the company appears on SEPA’s public register. A legitimate carrier will give you their registration number without hesitation.
Our guide on how to check if a company is SEPA registered takes you through the process step by step, including what to do when the name on the van doesn’t match the register.
What happens without a waste transfer note?
If waste is illegally dumped after it leaves your property, SEPA or local authorities can trace the waste back to you. Without a valid waste transfer note showing you used a registered carrier, you have no evidence that your waste duty of care was fulfilled.
Local authorities can issue a fixed penalty notice. Where the illegal dumping causes environmental damage or points to organised waste crime, the case moves up to SEPA and prosecution is possible.
The WTN is your protection, and keeping copies is the only way to produce it when asked.
Can an invoice serve as a waste transfer note?
An invoice can serve as a waste transfer note if it contains all the required information. Many carriers combine both into a single document. But if the invoice doesn’t include the EWC code, the carrier’s registration number, a description of the waste, the waste transfer note needs to be a separate document alongside it.
Before any collection, it’s worth asking your carrier how they handle waste transfer documentation so you know what to expect and what to keep on file.
Book a registered waste carrier with Junk-It Scotland
Junk-it Scotland has issued a waste transfer note with every collection since we started in 2006.
We’re fully registered with SEPA as a licensed waste carrier, and every WTN we produce covers the required description of the waste, the EWC code, our registration number, and signatures from both parties, so your waste transfer documentation is complete from day one.
Over 85% of what we collect is diverted from landfill through recycling, reuse, and donation. The waste is handled responsibly at every stage of the waste management process, not just loaded onto a van and forgotten about.
For junk removal in Glasgow and across the Central belt, give our friendly team a call today to receive your free quote on 0141 433 4330. Get your junk sorted with Junk-It.
