Waste transfer notes: what they must contain, and how long to keep them

What a waste transfer note must contain

A written description has to carry: the waste codes from the List of Wastes, the quantity and nature of the waste and whether it is loose or in a container, the container type, the time and place of transfer, the SIC code of the person handing it over, the names, addresses and signatures of both parties, and the capacity each party is acting in with their permit or registration number. [source] The description also has to include a statement confirming you have applied the waste hierarchy. [source]

The six digit waste codes come from the List of Wastes. In that list, a hazardous entry is marked with an asterisk on the code, for example 17 05 03*. [source]

A signature can be electronic, as long as an enforcement officer can view it. That permits an electronic signature; it is not, on its own, a statement about any particular product's signature capture. [source]

Who keeps it, and for how long

Both the person handing over the waste and the person receiving it keep a copy. Keep transfer notes for two years. Keep hazardous waste consignment notes for three years. A landfill operator keeps non-hazardous records for six years for landfill tax. [source]

The code of practice applies in England and Wales. [source] Scotland has its own separate transfer note rules, which are out of scope for this guide.

A worked example

Say your firm collects a general builder's skip: broken brick, offcuts of timber, some plastic sheeting. The note for that transfer needs the waste code (commonly 17 09 04, mixed construction and demolition wastes), a description of what is actually in the skip, whether it is loose or bagged, the date and address of the transfer, both firms' names and addresses, and both parties' signatures. Your SIC code goes on as the person handing the waste over, and the receiving site's permit number goes on as theirs. None of this changes because of digital waste tracking; it is the same note the industry has used for years.

How digital waste tracking changes it

Digital waste tracking does not replace your duty of care paperwork. The waste transfer note rules still apply and are a separate duty. [source] From 1 October 2026, a receiving site also has to record the load digitally on Defra's service, on top of, not instead of, the transfer note. See our full guide to the 1 October changes.

How Tipslip fits in

A waste transfer note PDF comes out of every collection and every tip in Tipslip, built from the same driver entry that records the load. Nobody writes it up again in the office. See pricing for plans from £49 a month.