Hazardous waste consignment notes explained

A hazardous waste consignment note is the paper (or digital) trail that follows hazardous waste from the moment it leaves your premises to the site that finally receives it. It is the hazardous-waste equivalent of a waste transfer note — but with stricter rules, an extra party, and a longer retention period. Here is exactly how it works.

What is a hazardous waste consignment note?

Where non-hazardous waste travels with a waste transfer note (WTN), hazardous waste needs a consignment note. It carries more detail — the precise composition and hazard properties of the waste — because the waste poses a greater risk and the regulators track it more closely.

When do I need a consignment note?

The asterisk in the EWC list is the quickest test. Codes such as 13 02 05* (mineral-based engine oil) or 20 01 21* (fluorescent tubes) are hazardous; the same broad category without the asterisk is not. Common hazardous wastes include waste oils, solvents, asbestos, batteries, fluorescent tubes, many paints, and clinical waste.

What is the consignment note code?

The producer generates the code before the waste is collected, and the same code stays with that consignment through every party's copy of the note. It is how the producer, carrier and consignee all refer to the same movement, and how the receiving site logs it in their register.

Who completes each part of the note?

• →Producer / holder — completes the waste description, EWC code(s), hazard properties, quantity and the premises the waste is leaving from, and generates the consignment note code.
• →Carrier — completes their collection details, carrier registration and transport details, and signs to confirm they have taken the waste.
• →Consignee — the receiving site completes the final part on arrival, confirming receipt (or rejection) and the treatment or disposal the waste is going to.

Each party keeps their copy of the completed note. The consignee also records the consignment in a register that they must keep at the site.

How long do you keep a consignment note?

Consignment notes must be kept for at least 3 years; the consignee must also keep their register of consignments for at least 3 years. A non-hazardous waste transfer note need only be kept for 2 years.

Keeping the note is not just a filing formality — it is the evidence you met your duty of care. If a regulator asks how a load of hazardous waste was handled, the consignment note is what you produce.

Consignment note vs waste transfer note

The two documents do the same job for different waste. The differences that matter most in practice are the waste type they cover, how long you keep them, and the extra party involved in a consignment.

Does it work the same across the UK?

The underlying idea is the same everywhere — dangerous waste travels with a tracked note kept for years — but the terminology, the exact forms and some of the process differ by nation. In Scotland the regime is run by SEPA and in Northern Ireland by the NIEA, both under "special waste" rules; in England and Wales it is "hazardous waste". Always confirm the current forms and duties with the regulator for your nation.

Do I need to register my premises?

Historically, premises producing hazardous waste in England had to register. That routine registration requirement was removed, but the rest of the regime — correct EWC classification, a valid consignment note for every movement, and keeping records for at least 3 years — still applies in full. The rules on notification and registration differ in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, so check your regulator's current position for the site's nation.

How Digital Waste Tracking replaces consignment notes

Digital Waste Tracking is DEFRA's service for logging waste movements electronically across the UK. For hazardous waste, a DWT record does the job the consignment note does today — capturing the waste description, EWC codes, hazard details, carrier and destination — but in a single national system rather than on paper.

• →Receivers (permitted and licensed sites) are in scope first, from October 2026 — January 2027 in Scotland.
• →Carriers follow from October 2027.
• →Until your start date, the existing rules still apply: keep consignment notes for at least 3 years and transfer notes for at least 2 years.

Digital Waste Tracking becomes mandatory for receivers in October 2026 (January 2027 in Scotland) and for carriers in October 2027 — until then, keep consignment notes for at least 3 years.

This guide is general information about hazardous waste consignment notes and is not legal advice. Hazardous and special waste rules differ by UK nation and change over time — always confirm your obligations with the environmental regulator for the nation you operate in.