What is a hazardous waste consignment note?
A plain-English definition: what a hazardous waste consignment note is, who needs one, and when. The short version, with links to the full detail.
A hazardous waste consignment note is the official form that must travel with every load of hazardous waste moved in England and Wales. It records what the waste is, where it came from, who is moving it, and where it is going. No note, no legal move. This page is the quick beginner's answer. For the full detail, the law behind it, and how going digital changes the job, read our complete guide to the hazardous waste consignment note.
Who needs one?
Three parties touch a consignment note on a single move. The producer, the business that made the waste. The carrier, the firm that moves it. And the consignee, the site that takes it in. Each fills in their own part. So if you make, carry or receive hazardous waste, consignment notes are part of your week.
When do you need one?
Every time hazardous waste moves. There is no minimum amount and no exception for a short trip. From a single drum of waste oil to a full tanker, if it is hazardous and it is going somewhere, a note goes with it. Move hazardous waste without one and you have broken the law, even if nothing else goes wrong.
What goes on it?
The note has five parts, each filled in by a different person at a different point in the journey, from the producer's first description of the waste to the receiving site's record of what happened to it. We walk through every section in our guide on how to fill out a consignment note.
Is it the same as a waste transfer note?
No, and this is where people slip up. A waste transfer note covers ordinary, non-hazardous waste. A consignment note is for hazardous waste only, and it carries more detail because the waste is more dangerous. If your waste is hazardous, a transfer note is not enough. Our free EWC code checker shows whether a code is hazardous, so you know which one you need.
Where to go next
That is the short version. For the full guide to the hazardous waste consignment note, including the law behind it and how going digital changes the job. If you just need the blank form, see our consignment note template.
A consignment note is simple once you know what it is for. It is proof that a dangerous load was handled properly, from the moment it left to the moment it arrived.