Advice
August 1, 2022

What are waste transfer notes? Why should you get one?

If you have ever hired a skip before or rented a portable toilet the chances are you will have heard of Waste Transfer Notes.  

What is a Waste Transfer Note?

A waste transfer note (WTN) is a document describing the transfer of waste from one person or company to another. It is your legal responsibility to make sure  every load of waste you receive or pass to others is covered by a WTN.  So whether you are having a Welfare unit service a portable toilet clean, or event toilet hire you should be provided with a WTN.

WTNs ensure that there is a clear audit trail from when the waste is produced until it is disposed of. You must keep copies of all your WTNs for at least two years and must be able to produce them on demand to your environmental regulator or local council, or you could be fined.

You must check that anyone you pass your waste to holds the relevant registration, permit or exemption for the type of waste you pass to them. This ensures that unregistered companies are not taking away your waste and disposing of it irresponsibly.

There is no standard format for a WTN and many waste carriers produce their own versions, at D-tox our WTN is part of our Job Card that gets emailed to every customer to provide proof of service.

A WTN must be completed and signed by both the person handing over the waste and the person receiving it. It must contain enough information about the waste for it to be handled safely and either recovered or disposed of legally. If you do not give enough information and your waste is mismanaged as a result, you could be prosecuted.

What should a Waste Transfer Note include?

  • a description of the waste
  • any processes the waste has been through
  • how the waste is contained or packaged
  • the quantity of the waste
  • the place and date of transfer
  • the name and address of both parties
  • details of the permit, licence or exemption of the person receiving the waste
  • the licence or registration number of the person handing over the waste, if they have a waste management licence or are a registered carrier of controlled waste 
  • the appropriate European Waste Catalogue (EWC) code for your waste
  • the Standard Industry Code (SIC) of your business

What D-tox will do?

When it comes to portable toilet waste we know what we are doing so we fill out all our WTNs with the correct information on your behalf. This means you do not need to worry about finding out the correct EWC codes or any other information, we will do all of this on your behalf.

We can also provide you with copies of the WTNs for any of your jobs going back over the required two year period.

So if you need, tank empties, welfare unit services or any other portable sanitation waste dealt with, give our awesome hire team a call today on 0800 999 2260 and see how we can help you out.

Related reading and products

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Christian Heritage

After joining the business at the end of its first year of trading, Christian has been involved in all aspects of the business.
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