Hazardous waste consignment notes and the five parts

What a consignment note is, and when you need one

A consignment note accompanies all hazardous waste when it is moved, and it must be prepared before the waste moves. It stays with the waste to its final destination.

You need one for collections from businesses by registered carriers, for movements between premises of the same business, and for movements from customer premises where another business produced the waste. You do not need one for domestic hazardous waste other than asbestos, or for waste imported or exported under international waste shipment controls, which use a different movement note.

A hazardous waste movement is the trigger, not the size of the load. If you want the wider duty of care picture, our hazardous waste guide sets out how the note fits with the other records.

The five parts, A to E

The five parts are completed in order, and normally three copies are needed.

The carrier must deliver promptly, normally within 24 hours of collection.

The consignment note code

The code is in the format XXXXXX/YYYYY. The first six characters are the first six letters or numbers of the company name in part A2. Then a slash, then five characters you choose. The code is unique per premises and changed for every consignment. If the company name has fewer than six characters, pad it with Q.

Letter suffixes flag unusual movements:

• V for waste from ships.
• F for fly-tipped waste.
• D for a consignee return derogation.
• P for continuously piped waste.

The note must contain every information field and be as near as possible to the example format. A note is not valid if fields are missing or altered, if declarations are reworded, or if the format is changed.

What the consignee checks, and when to reject

The consignee must reject the waste where:

• there is no note;
• the site is not the destination given in part A3;
• the site is not authorised for the waste;
• the waste is inaccurately classified;
• the vehicle does not match part C and there is no carrier schedule;
• fields are missing or the format differs;
• parts A to D have been amended.

Parts A to D must never be altered. The consignee must not amend or correct them.

Part E, in detail

Part E is the consignee's record of the load, and it is more than a signature. It records:

• each EWC code received;
• the quantity of each code in kilograms, weighed or accurately determined at the site rather than copied from part B;
• whether each code is accepted or rejected;
• the R or D waste management operation;
• the date and time the waste was received.

Weighing at the site matters because part B is what the producer declared. Part E is what your weighbridge actually found. Our consignment note glossary entry gives the short definition and the retention periods for each party.

Scotland: special waste and SEPA-issued notes

Special waste is Scotland's term for hazardous waste, regulated by the Special Waste Regulations 1996 and later amendments. Every movement of special waste is a consignment, monitored by the producer, consignor, carrier and consignee.

All special waste produced in Scotland must be consigned using a SEPA-issued consignment note or code, whatever its destination in the UK. Notes are purchased from SEPA. Where special waste is exported to England, Wales or Northern Ireland, the consignee receiving it sends a copy of the completed deposit note to SEPA. Producers in England, Wales or Northern Ireland use their own country's paperwork. There is no requirement to register as a producer of special waste in Scotland.

Where that waste is received in England or Wales, a completed copy of the note also goes to SEPA; where waste from Northern Ireland is received, to NIEA. Our Scotland page covers how the SEPA return sits alongside digital waste tracking from 1 January 2027.

Northern Ireland: DAERA-issued notes and pre-notification

Hazardous waste in Northern Ireland is regulated by the Hazardous Waste Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2005. A consignment note with a unique code is used for each movement, and DAERA dispenses, controls and administers the notes through NIEA.

Pre-notification is required and can be carried out by email. Fees vary by movement type: £24, £10, or free in certain cases. Part B requires the SIC 2007 code for the process that produced the waste. Our Northern Ireland page sets out the draft digital waste tracking rule and the EU border position.

How this sits beside digital waste tracking

From 1 October 2026, permitted waste receiving sites in England and Wales record every load in the Digital Waste Tracking Service, within two working days. The record for a hazardous load carries the hazardous waste data, the consignment note number and persistent organic pollutant data where the waste contains POPs.

The consignment note still travels with the waste. The DWTS return does not replace it, and neither replaces the wider compliance duties. LoadLog keeps the consignment note number against the load, so the note, the weight and the return stay together.

Frequently asked questions

Is a consignment note the same as a waste transfer note?

No. A waste transfer note covers non-hazardous waste. Every movement of hazardous waste needs a consignment note, which is completed in five parts and travels with the waste to its final destination.

Can I write my own consignment note?

In England and Wales you may use your own note provided it carries the same information fields and is as near as possible to the same format as the Environment Agency example. In Scotland you cannot: all special waste produced in Scotland must be consigned using a SEPA-issued consignment note or code.

Who completes each part of the note?

The producer or holder completes parts A and B before the waste is removed and gives all copies to the carrier. The carrier checks A and B and completes part C. The consignor completes part D after C and before removal. The consignee completes part E when the waste arrives.

When must a consignee reject a consignment?

The consignee must reject the waste where there is no note, where its site is not the destination given in part A3, where it is not authorised for the waste, where the waste is inaccurately classified, where the vehicle does not match part C and there is no carrier schedule, where fields are missing or the format differs, or where parts A to D have been amended.

Do parts A to D ever get corrected?

No. The consignee must not amend or correct parts A to D. Part E is where the consignee records what actually arrived.