SIC code on a waste transfer note
A SIC code on a waste transfer note is the Standard Industrial Classification code of the business handing the waste over, the number that says what trade that business is in. It is not a code for the waste itself, and on a receiving site's note it is almost always the transferor's code rather than the yard's.
What a SIC code means on a transfer note
A SIC code on a waste transfer note is the Standard Industrial Classification code of the business transferring the waste, the number that describes what that business does for a living. It sits with the transferor's name and address, so anyone reading the record later can tell whether the load came off a building site, out of a garage, out of a shop fit, off a farm or out of a factory.
The code traces the producer, not the waste. The EWC code says what is in the skip. The SIC code says what kind of business made it. Read together they tell an inspector whether the description is plausible: mixed construction and demolition waste from a construction trade is ordinary, the same description from a dry cleaner invites a question.
It is the other party's code, not yours by default. A receiving site records the code of the business that produced or passed on the load. Your own SIC code goes on a note when your yard is the one handing waste on, for example when residues leave for a landfill or a reprocessor.
Where it comes from
SIC codes are the national list used to classify business activity, and most limited companies already carry one or more on their Companies House record because it is declared when the company is set up and at every confirmation statement. A sole trader may never have thought about it. In practice the yard asks once, writes it down against that customer, and reuses it on every load that customer brings in.
An example at the weighbridge
A builder tips a grab load of mixed construction and demolition waste from a house extension. His company name and address go in the transferor details, his carrier registration number goes with the carrier details, the waste gets its written description and its EWC code, and the SIC code on the note is the construction code his own company is registered under. Not the code for your transfer station. Your code appears on the notes for the loads that leave your gate.
SIC code and EWC code, side by side
| SIC code | EWC code |
|---|---|
| What it describes | The trade of the business handing the waste over |
| Whose code it is | The transferor's, taken from them |
| Where you find it | The customer's own company record |
| Changes when | The customer's business changes |
Related terms
- Waste transfer note (WTN). The record itself, who handed what to whom, when and where. The SIC code is one line on it.
- Duty of care. The obligation the note evidences, and the reason a receiving site needs the transferor's details to be right.
- EWC code, or List of Waste code. The code for the waste. Asked for on the same note, and often confused with the SIC code because both are numbers.
- CBDU number. The waste carrier, broker or dealer registration number of whoever brought the load in. A different number again, and the one most often missing.
- Consignment note. The paperwork hazardous loads move on instead of a transfer note.
- Waste hierarchy declaration. The transferor's statement that they applied the hierarchy, which sits near their SIC code on most note layouts.
If you are filling in a note field by field, the template page walks the whole form. If you want the list of everything a note must carry, the fields page sets it out.
Questions
Is the SIC code a required field on a waste transfer note?
Transfer note layouts in England and Wales ask for the SIC code of the business transferring the waste, which is why nearly every duplicate book has a box for it. Treat it as a field to fill rather than an optional extra, and ask the customer for it the first time they come through the gate.
Whose SIC code goes on the note, mine or the customer's?
The code of the business handing the waste over. When a builder tips at your yard, his code goes on. When your yard sends residues on to a landfill or a reprocessor, your code goes on that note, because for that movement you are the transferor.
Where do I find a customer's SIC code?
Ask them. Most limited companies have one on their Companies House record, declared at incorporation and confirmed each year, so an office can look it up in a minute. A sole trader may need to pick the code that matches the work they actually do.
Is the SIC code the same as the EWC code?
No. The SIC code describes the business, the EWC code describes the waste. Both are numbers on the same note, which is where the mix-up starts. A skip of mixed construction waste has one EWC code whoever brings it, but a different SIC code for a builder, a shop fitter and a groundworks firm.
What if the customer does not know their SIC code?
Do not guess a code on their behalf. Write down the trade in plain words, ask them to confirm the code, and get it onto the record before the quarter closes. A wrong code on a statutory record is harder to explain than a late one.
Does the digital waste tracking mandate change the SIC code field?
The mandate changes how the record is made and submitted rather than what identifies the producer, so expect the transferor's trade to still be part of the record. Carry on asking customers for their code as you do now, and read the field list when the submission formats are published, because the layout is the part most likely to move.