Agricultural waste management

When you pass your waste to someone else, you must complete a waste transfer note (WTN) and keep a copy for two years. This transfer note must contain:

• your name and confirmation that you produced the waste
• the name of the person you are passing the waste to and their status (eg that they are a registered waste carrier and their registration number)
• the address of where you passed the waste to the other person and the date and time this happened
• a description of the waste you are passing on
• the European Waste Catalogue (EWC) code for the waste
• a description of how the waste is contained, eg if it is loose or in a sack, skip or drum
• the amount of waste being passed on, eg the number of drums, the volume of waste or its weight
• your signature and the signature of the person you pass the waste to.

You must create a WTN for each load of waste that leaves your site. For repeat transfers, you can use a 'season ticket', ie one transfer note will cover multiple transfers for up to 12 months. However, you can only use a season ticket if the description of the waste and all the other circumstances remain the same.

You should never rely on waste carriers or waste management contractors to describe your waste for you on WTNs. As the producer, you are in the best position to describe your waste accurately. It is not acceptable to use non-specific terms, eg 'general waste' or 'inert waste'.

There is no standard transfer note. Many registered waste carriers print their own versions. However an example waste transfer note has been produced which you could use. Download an example of a waste transfer note - pdf [45kb]

The Environment Agency has produced a leaflet to help you complete waste transfer notes. This includes the European Waste Catalogue codes for wastes that are commonly produced on farms.

Environment Agency: New rules on agricultural waste - Duty of Care pdf [45kb]

You should carry out periodic checks to ensure that your waste is handled correctly from the moment it leaves your premises to the final point of disposal or recovery. These checks will help you to prove that you are complying with your duty of care.