ComplyWaste guides
Waste compliance, in plain English
Straight answers on Digital Waste Tracking, waste transfer notes, EWC codes and duty of care — with the October 2026 and 2027 deadlines explained properly.
Digital Waste Tracking
- R codes and D codes for waste: recovery and disposal operations explainedR codes (R1–R13) are waste recovery operations; D codes (D1–D15) are disposal operations. Both are required fields on UK waste records and DWT submissions.
- Digital Waste Tracking: what it is and when it startsDigital Waste Tracking (DWT) becomes mandatory for waste receivers in October 2026 and carriers in October 2027. Here's what it is and how to prepare.
- Carrier vs receiver: who must use Digital Waste Tracking, and whenWaste receivers must use Digital Waste Tracking from October 2026; waste carriers from October 2027. Here's how to tell which you are — and what to do if you're both.
- What is 'Receipt of Waste'? The DWT receiver requirement explainedA Receipt of Waste is a waste receiver's record of a load arriving at their permitted site, submitted to Digital Waste Tracking. Mandatory from October 2026.
- Digital Waste Tracking readiness checklist: is your site ready for October 2026?A practical, step-by-step Digital Waste Tracking readiness checklist for permitted receiving sites ahead of the October 2026 deadline. The service is already live in public beta.
- Digital Waste Tracking in Scotland: dates and rulesWaste receivers in Scotland must use Digital Waste Tracking from 1 January 2027 — three months later than England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
- What will Digital Waste Tracking cost? Fees and software explainedDigital Waste Tracking costs £26 per year per legal entity for the DEFRA service charge, plus any software you choose. Full fee and cost breakdown.
- Digital Waste Tracking for councils and local authoritiesCouncils operating permitted waste sites must use Digital Waste Tracking from October 2026. HWRC household drops are exempt; collection vehicles join in October 2027.
- Who needs to use Digital Waste Tracking? Producers, carriers, brokers and receiversEveryone who handles waste in the chain: receivers (permitted sites) from Oct 2026; carriers, brokers, dealers and producers from Oct 2027.
Waste Transfer Notes
- The annual 'season ticket' waste transfer note explainedAn annual waste transfer note (season ticket) covers repeated collections of the same non-hazardous waste by the same carrier — up to 12 months on a single document.
- SIC codes on waste transfer notes: what they are and how to find yoursA waste transfer note must include the transferor's SIC code under Regulation 35. Carriers use 38110; find out what code your business needs.
- Waste transfer note vs hazardous waste consignment note: which do you need?Hazardous waste (EWC code with an asterisk) needs a consignment note kept 3 years. Non-hazardous waste uses a waste transfer note kept 2 years.
- Do I need a waste transfer note?Yes — if your business produces, carries or receives non-hazardous waste and it changes hands, a waste transfer note is legally required. Here's when and why.
- How to complete a waste transfer note (with a checklist)A field-by-field guide to filling in a waste transfer note correctly: EWC code, SIC code, quantity, carrier registration, addresses, the waste hierarchy declaration and both signatures.
- How long do you need to keep a waste transfer note?You must keep a waste transfer note for at least 2 years, and a hazardous waste consignment note for at least 3 years, from the date of transfer.
- Are digital (electronic) waste transfer notes legal?Yes — electronic waste transfer notes are fully legal in the UK. No paper or wet-ink signature is required. Here's what makes a digital WTN valid.
- How to write a waste description that satisfies the regulatorAn adequate waste description names the waste, its physical characteristics, composition and whether it is hazardous. 'General waste' is not enough.
- What is a waste transfer note? Definition and legal requirementsA waste transfer note is a document recording the transfer of non-hazardous waste between parties under the section 34 duty of care.
EWC codes
- EWC chapter 13: oil and liquid fuel waste codes explainedEWC chapter 13 covers oil and liquid fuel waste in 32 hazardous codes across 7 subcategories — hydraulic oils, engine oils, bilge oils and liquid fuels.
- POPs waste explained: what persistent organic pollutants mean for your recordsPOPs waste must be classified as EWC 20 03 07, kept separate, and sent to an authorised incinerator — landfill is banned. The PBDE threshold is 500 mg/kg.
- EWC chapter 15: packaging waste and absorbent materials codes explainedEWC chapter 15 covers packaging waste and absorbents across 12 codes in 2 subcategories. Three codes are hazardous, including contaminated packaging.
- EWC chapter 16: wastes not otherwise specified — codes explainedEWC chapter 16 covers 72 codes across 11 subcategories including tyres, end-of-life vehicles, WEEE and batteries. 44 of the codes are hazardous.
- EWC chapter 17: construction & demolition waste codes explainedEWC chapter 17 covers construction and demolition wastes in 38 codes across 8 subcategories. Which are hazardous and how to choose the right one.
- EWC chapter 18: healthcare and clinical waste codes explainedEWC chapter 18 covers wastes from human and animal healthcare in 16 codes across 2 subcategories. Seven are hazardous — including infectious, cytotoxic and dental amalgam waste.
- EWC chapter 20: municipal waste codes explainedEWC chapter 20 covers municipal and household waste in 40 codes across 3 subcategories — 20 01 to 20 03. Which are hazardous and which code to use.
- How to classify your waste: EWC codes, mirror entries and hazardous wasteClassify waste by matching it to a six-digit EWC code from the List of Waste. Codes marked * are hazardous; mirror entries need a hazard assessment.
Licensing & compliance
- What is controlled waste? The legal definition and duty-of-care implicationsControlled waste is household, commercial and industrial waste under s.75 EPA 1990 — it triggers the duty of care and waste transfer note requirements.
- Waste carrier licence renewal: when it expires and how to renewUpper-tier waste carrier registrations expire every three years with no grace period. How to check your expiry date and renew online before it lapses.
- Trade waste vs household waste: the duty-of-care rulesTrade waste vs household waste: business waste requires a WTN under the s.34 duty of care; household waste from a domestic property is exempt.
- Do sole traders need a waste carrier licence?Yes: sole traders must register as a waste carrier if they transport controlled waste in the course of business. No sole-trader exemption exists.
- Waste broker vs waste dealer: the difference and which you areA waste broker arranges waste recovery or disposal on behalf of others; a waste dealer buys and sells waste as a principal. Both need upper tier registration.
- How to check a waste carrier is registered (free EA, SEPA & NIEA lookup)Check if a waste carrier is registered for free using the EA, NRW, SEPA or NIEA public register. Covers England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
- Waste duty of care: what it means and how to complyThe waste duty of care (section 34 Environmental Protection Act 1990) applies to every business that deals with waste. Here's what it requires and how to comply.
- Waste carrier registration: upper vs lower tier explainedWho must register as a waste carrier, broker or dealer in the UK, and the difference between upper tier (fee, 3-year renewal) and lower tier (free, no renewal).
- Upper vs lower tier waste carrier registration explainedUpper tier vs lower tier waste carrier registration: upper tier costs £184 in England (renews every 3 years); lower tier is free and never expires.
- Hazardous waste consignment notes explainedA hazardous waste consignment note is the hazardous-waste version of a transfer note. You must keep it for at least 3 years. Here's who completes it and when.
- Waste returns explained: quarterly reporting for permitted sitesPermitted waste sites must submit periodic waste returns to their regulator — usually quarterly — reporting waste received and how it was recovered or disposed of.
- Waste tracking and duty of care across the UK: England, Scotland, Wales & Northern IrelandWaste regulation is devolved, so the regulator you deal with depends on your nation. Digital Waste Tracking is UK-wide with the same headline dates.
- Registered waste exemptions explained: T, S, U and D categories, fees and how to registerWaste exemptions let you carry out low-risk waste activities without a full permit. England has T, S, U and D categories; fees changed in July 2025.
- Simpler Recycling in England: what your workplace must doSimpler Recycling requires English workplaces with 10+ employees to separate food waste, dry recyclables and residual waste from 31 March 2025. Micro-firms follow by 31 March 2027.
- The waste hierarchy explained: 5 steps and the WTN declarationThe waste hierarchy is a legal 5-step priority order: prevent, prepare for reuse, recycle, other recovery, dispose. Every WTN must declare it applies.
- Waste duty of care penalties: fines for missing or incorrect transfer notesFailing to produce a valid waste transfer note can bring a fixed penalty notice; duty of care breaches can lead to an unlimited fine on conviction.
Software
- Digital waste transfer note softwareDigital waste transfer note software lets drivers capture a compliant WTN on-site — offline, signed, GPS-stamped — and auto-emails a branded PDF. ComplyWaste from £39/mo.
- Offline waste transfer note app: capture WTNs with no signalAn offline waste transfer note app saves a complete, signed, legal WTN with no signal — the phone is the source of truth and it syncs when you're back. ComplyWaste from £39/mo.
- Best waste transfer note apps compared (2026)An honest, segmented comparison of the best waste transfer note apps in 2026 — ComplyWaste, QuickWasteNote, Wastrio, WasteBolt, PaperRoute and DigitalWTN — by who each one suits.
- Weighbridge tickets and waste records: getting receipt data rightA weighbridge ticket is your primary data capture for each incoming load. From October 2026 that data must feed Digital Waste Tracking within 48 hours.
By industry
- Digital waste transfer notes for skip hire companiesSkip hire firms are upper-tier carriers and often run a transfer station too. Here are your WTN duties, the EWC codes you carry, and how a digital WTN app helps. From £39/mo.
- Digital waste transfer notes for construction and demolitionConstruction & demolition waste duties, C&D EWC codes, and why builders carrying their own waste need upper-tier carrier registration. Digital WTNs on-site with ComplyWaste from £39/mo.
- Digital waste transfer notes for house & office clearanceHouse, office & estate clearance firms are usually upper-tier carriers and must issue waste transfer notes. See the common EWC codes, POPs rules and how digital WTNs help.
- Digital waste transfer notes for grab hireGrab-hire and muckaway operators are upper-tier carriers moving C&D waste. Here's how digital waste transfer notes handle EWC codes, hazardous soil and fast on-site loading.
- Digital waste transfer notes for scrap metal dealersHow scrap metal dealers handle waste transfer notes, EWC codes and hazardous consignment notes — plus why you need a carrier registration AND a scrap metal dealer licence.
- Digital compliance for hazardous waste carriersHazardous waste uses a consignment note, not a WTN — kept 3 years, with a consignment code and HP codes. See how digital software gets it right roadside. ComplyWaste from £39/mo.