What is a waste transfer note (WTN)?
A waste transfer note, usually shortened to WTN, is the written record that passes with a load of non-hazardous waste from one holder to the next. It says what the waste is, how much of it there is, who handed it over, who took it, and where it went.
The short definition
A waste transfer note is the written record that moves with a load of non-hazardous waste and transfers responsibility for that waste from the person handing it over to the person taking it away or receiving it.
It exists because of the duty of care in section 34 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990, which says anyone who produces, carries, keeps, treats or disposes of controlled waste has to make sure it is handled properly and that there is a paper trail to prove it. The note is that proof. Both sides keep a copy. If the Environment Agency asks what happened to a load and there is no note, there is nothing to show.
Most people in a yard meet it as the duplicate book in the weighbridge office, or as the carbon copy a driver hands over before tipping. The name changes by habit, so you will hear it called a transfer note, a WTN, a duty of care note or just the docket. They are the same document.
What a note looks like in practice
A skip lorry arrives at your transfer station with an eight yard skip of mixed construction and demolition waste from a builder in the next town. The skip goes over the weighbridge, the ticket prints a weight, and a note is written up: the builder's name and address, your site as the destination, the carrier's registration number, a description of the waste with its List of Waste code, the weight from the ticket, the date, and a signature from both sides.
That single sheet is what connects the load on your pad to the business that produced it. Everything downstream depends on it, including the tonnage totals you report to the Environment Agency each quarter.
What the note has to carry
The duty of care code of practice on gov.uk sets out the detail, and it is the version to check before you design a form. In broad terms a transfer note records:
- A description of the waste, plus the List of Waste code, often called the EWC code
- The quantity, and what it is in: skip, roll-on, drum, bulk load
- The date and the place the transfer happened
- The names and addresses of both the person handing the waste over and the person taking it
- The carrier's waste carrier, broker or dealer registration details, upper tier or lower tier
- The environmental permit or exemption of the site receiving the waste
- The SIC code of the business the waste came from
- A statement covering how the waste hierarchy was applied
- A signature from both parties
Where the same waste moves on the same route regularly, for example a weekly collection from one customer, the rules allow one note to cover repeat collections for a period rather than writing a fresh note every time. Operators call this a season ticket. The waste and the route have to stay the same for it to hold.
Who signs it and how long you keep it
Both sides sign. The transferor is the person giving the waste up, the transferee is the person taking it. On a skip exchange that usually means the driver signs on behalf of the carrier and the site or the customer signs at the other end. A note signed by only one party does not do its job.
On retention, the duty of care code of practice on gov.uk asks for transfer notes to be kept for two years, and hazardous waste consignment notes for three years. Keeping them means being able to produce them on request, not just having a box of them somewhere in the portacabin.
Related terms worth knowing
Consignment note
The hazardous equivalent. Asbestos, contaminated soils, oils and similar waste travel on a consignment note rather than a transfer note, with a consignment code and tighter rules.
EWC code, or List of Waste code
The six digit code that classifies the waste. An asterisk on the code marks it as hazardous, which changes the paperwork you need.
Duty of care
The legal obligation behind the note. It applies to the producer, the carrier and the receiving site, not just one of them.
Waste carrier, broker or dealer registration
The registration a carrier must hold, upper tier or lower tier. Its number goes on the note, and it expires, so it needs watching.
Environmental permit
The permit or exemption that lets a transfer station accept and store waste. Its reference identifies the destination on the note.
Quarterly returns
The periodic summary a permitted site sends the Environment Agency, built from the notes recorded over the quarter.
Digital waste tracking
The move from paper notes to digital records under the mandate coming in October 2026. If you are weighing up the duplicate book against a digital record, our page on swapping the duplicate book for a digital transfer note record covers that decision rather than the definition.
This page is a general explanation of the term. Gov.uk and the Environment Agency are the authority on what your site has to do.
Questions
What information must a waste transfer note contain?
A description of the waste with its List of Waste code, the quantity and container type, the date and place of transfer, the names and addresses of both parties, the carrier's registration details, the receiving site's permit or exemption, the producer's SIC code, a waste hierarchy statement and signatures from both sides. Check the duty of care code of practice on gov.uk for the current wording.
Who signs the waste transfer note?
Both parties to the transfer. The person handing the waste over, the transferor, and the person taking it, the transferee. On a skip job that is normally the driver on behalf of the carrier and someone at the receiving site or the customer.
How long do I have to keep waste transfer notes?
The duty of care code of practice on gov.uk asks for transfer notes to be kept for two years and hazardous waste consignment notes for three years, and for you to be able to produce them if the Environment Agency asks.
Is a transfer note the same as a consignment note?
No. Transfer notes cover non-hazardous controlled waste. Hazardous waste, including asbestos and many contaminated materials, moves on a consignment note with a consignment code and additional requirements.
Can one note cover repeat collections?
Yes, where the same waste moves between the same parties on the same route. That arrangement is commonly called a season ticket. If the waste type or the route changes, you need a fresh note.
Does a digital record count as a waste transfer note?
The note is defined by the information it carries and the fact both parties hold it, not by whether it is on paper. Digital waste tracking is the direction the rules are moving in for October 2026. Our page on swapping the duplicate book for a digital transfer note record goes into what changes for a yard.
Can I use Skiplog for this today?
Not yet. Skiplog is in development and there is a waitlist. It is being built for UK skip yards and transfer stations that need transfer notes captured on a tablet in the yard.