Waste transfer notes explained
A waste transfer note is the record of waste changing hands: what it was, who handed it over, who took it and where.
Businesses need one for every load. Householders don’t have to, but it’s the best proof of where your waste went. On scrapmarket, every job gets one, made for you.
What a note must say
- A description of the waste, with its waste classification code
- How much there is, and how it’s contained: loose, in bags, in a skip
- The time and place it was handed over
- The names and addresses of both sides
- What each side is: for example the producer, and a registered waste carrier with its registration number
Both sides fill it in and sign it, on paper or electronically, and each keeps a copy.
Who must keep one, and for how long
| Who | What | How long |
|---|---|---|
| Businesses, and anyone else handing over waste that isn’t their own household waste | A waste transfer note for each load | 2 years |
| Businesses with hazardous waste | Consignment notes and related records | 3 years |
| Householders, for their own household waste | Not required by law | Keep one if you get it |
That last row is in section 5 of the government’s code of practice: the transfer note rules don’t apply to a householder dealing with their own household waste. You still have a duty of care.
An example
A note for a sofa collected from a home might read:
| Field | Example |
|---|---|
| Waste | Domestic seating waste containing POPs (one three-seater sofa), code 20 03 07 |
| Containment | Loose |
| Handed over | 14 March, 10:30, from the customer’s address |
| From | The householder |
| To | A registered upper-tier waste carrier, with its CBDU number |
| Going to | The named permitted site that will send it for incineration |
An illustration only, not a real job.
Notes on scrapmarket
Every job gets a waste transfer note, kept in your account. Your collector names the site before they leave, and the note is issued when you confirm the collection. If the waste goes somewhere else, the note is revised to say where and why. If the waste is from your business, your business is named on it.
Sources
- GOV.UK: Waste duty of care code of practice, updated 26 November 2018. Checked 8 October 2026.
- GOV.UK: Dispose of business or commercial waste — waste transfer notes. Checked 8 October 2026.
- GOV.UK: Dispose of hazardous waste — producers and holders. Checked 8 October 2026.
- GOV.UK: Manage waste upholstered domestic seating containing POPs, updated 29 July 2026. Checked 8 October 2026.
Last updated 8 October 2026.
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