Waste law & duty of care
Waste transfer notes: what they are and what yours must show
What a compliant waste transfer note contains, how long to keep it, who signs it, and how digital notes work for Kent households and businesses.
- Written by Daniel Hartley, Operations Director & licensed waste carrier
- Reviewed by Priya Raman
- Updated 2026-07-15
Quick answer
What is a waste transfer note?
A waste transfer note is the written record that transfers responsibility for waste from producer to carrier. It must describe the waste, list the EWC code, name and address both parties, give the carrier registration number and record the date and place of transfer. Businesses keep it two years.
Reviewed by Daniel Hartley, Operations Director & licensed waste carrier · Last updated 2 August 2026
Key takeaways
- A note without a carrier registration number is not compliant
- Season tickets can cover repeated identical collections for up to 12 months
- Digital notes are as valid as paper and easier to produce on request
- Keep business notes for two years; hazardous waste consignment notes for three
The six things a valid note must contain
If any of these are missing, the note will not satisfy an enforcement officer.
- A description of the waste, including the European Waste Catalogue (EWC) code
- The quantity, and whether it is loose, bagged or in a container
- Names and addresses of the person transferring and the person receiving
- The carrier's Environment Agency registration number
- Date and place of transfer
- Signatures (or verified digital equivalents) from both parties
Season tickets for regular collections
Where the same waste moves between the same parties on a repeating basis — a weekly trade bin, a monthly office collection — a single annual transfer note, known as a season ticket, can cover up to twelve months of transfers. It saves paperwork but only works if the description genuinely stays the same.
Kent trade customers on our account terms get a season ticket at sign-up plus individual collection records against each invoice line.
Digital notes and audits
Nothing in the regulations requires paper. A PDF or a record in an online portal is acceptable as long as it contains the required information and can be produced when asked. The advantage becomes obvious during an audit: retrieving 40 collections from an inbox takes seconds.
We email a PDF within 24 hours of every job and keep a copy against your record so a replacement is always available.
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