What is a waste transfer note (WTN)?

A waste transfer note is an official way of tracking where commercial waste is coming from and where it is going to (within a year). It’s part of the Waste Duty of Care legislation, which ensures waste is handled in a way that does not harm the environment or human health.

Do I need to fill out a waste transfer note?

If you intend to collect waste at commercial premises, then you must have a waste transfer note for the waste you are sending to TerraCycle. A commercial premises is a property that is considered a business location, such as a shop, school, charity, or church.

Please note that you do not need to provide a waste transfer note if:

• You are registered as a public drop-off location or a private collector, and you collect waste in a non-commercial premises (such as your home)
• You are taking waste to public drop-off locations set up by other TerraCycle® collectors

Why do I need to obtain a waste transfer note?

Holding a waste transfer note for the waste you actively return proves your compliance with the Waste Duty of Care legislation. As an environmental business working in the waste management sector, we want to ensure that we, along with the people using our service, meet the highest environmental standards, including the full traceability of collected waste.

How often do I need to obtain a new waste transfer note?

You just need to obtain a waste transfer note per commercial premises, every year. You will need one waste transfer note for each programme you collect waste at the specified location. If you join any new programmes during the year and you’re collecting the waste at commercial premises (either privately or as a public drop-off location), and you were not sent a WTN automatically, please contact our Customer Support Team at customersupport@terracycle.co.uk or call 01465 915018 and ask them to send you a waste transfer note via email after checking your profile is set up as per below.

How do I obtain my waste transfer note? Can you help?

Of course!

1. Go to ‘My Personal Info’ on your TerraCycle account.
2. Make sure the listed information is correct (collection point address and/or organisation type.
3. Add your SIC code in the box provided. If you are unsure what a SIC code is or need help, please refer to the section below. Note: If you do not provide your SIC code, your waste transfer note will not be generated.
4. Save your account information.
5. Contact our Customer Support Team at customersupport@terracycle.co.uk or call 01465 915018 and ask them to send you a waste transfer note via email in case of no receipt after updating your details on your account according to the steps outlined above.

What is a SIC code (2007), and how do I find mine?

A SIC code is the ‘Standard Industrial Classification of Economic Activities’ of the commercial premises where you collect waste. The 2007 version of this code is the most recent version and is 5 digits long. These codes are intended to help classify businesses according to their type of economic activity.

You can easily find the correct SIC code by searching for the commercial premises where you collect waste, by name, on the Companies House website. Once you’ve found your location, click through to view the company information and look for ‘Nature of Business’ (SIC).

If your commercial premises is part of a larger company, for example, a supermarket that has multiple locations, simply search for the name of the group/corporation and use that SIC code - it doesn’t need to be for that one location.

In some cases, one or more SIC codes can be attributed to a business. If this applies to your location, just choose one SIC code to fill out your waste transfer note form.

Common 2007 SIC codes that might apply to your location:

88990 - charities
47100 - retail in non-specialised shops
47200 - retail sale of food, beverages, and tobacco in specialised shops (supermarkets)
94910 - activities of religious organisations (churches)
85100 - pre-primary education (nurseries)
85200 - primary education
85300 - secondary education
85400 - higher education
47730 - dispensing chemist in specialised stores
47782 - retail sale by opticians

What will happen to shipments sent before I had my waste transfer note?

Shipments sent before, or due to arrive, will still be accepted and won’t cause any issues.

However, we ask that going forward, in case you need to hold a waste transfer note that you make sure that you have it before sending further shipments of waste for the programme(s) you are a member of. Please refer to the question “How do I obtain my waste transfer note? Can you help?” and follow the steps outlined to obtain your waste transfer note.

What information do I legally need to provide?

All you need to do is make sure the listed information is correct (collection point address and/or organisation type) and add your SIC code in the box provided in your account profile.

Where can I access the waste transfer note?

If you completed your account information by March 30th, 2022, you would have received your waste transfer note via email. After this date, you will need to ask our Customer Support Team to generate your waste transfer note and it will appear in your email inbox.  

What happens if I don’t fill this out?

We’re confident we have provided the best tools to make it as easy as possible to complete a waste transfer note, allowing you to prove compliance with the Waste Duty of Care legislation. However, in the event that you and the commercial premises you collect waste at are subject to an audit by organisations such as the Environment Agency, you could be prosecuted if you are unable to provide this documentation. With this in mind, please store a copy of your waste transfer note(s) for safekeeping for two years.

Whilst the information on the Waste Duty of Care has been available on our website for some time, we would really like to emphasise the importance of complying with the Waste Duty of Care legislation. If you would like further assistance, please contact our Customer Support Team.

How did TerraCycle® calculate the estimated weight?

We have filled in this information based on an average of collection weights across all our recycling programmes. By doing this, we hope to make this process as easy as possible for our collectors. If your shipments weigh more or less than this estimate, please do not worry.

Do I need to submit a waste transfer note request for every shipment?

No, one waste transfer note will be generated per programme, for programmes you are part of at that specific time, provided your profile details are correct, and you have filled in the organisation type and SIC code. If you join a programme after receiving your initial Waste Transfer Note(s), these should be generated for you, if you did not receive these, please contact our Customer Support Team.

What if I join a new programme?

If you complete your account information and receive your waste transfer notes for this year, then join another programme later in the year (for which you intend to collect waste in commercial premises), you will receive a WTN automatically. If you didn’t, please contact our Customer Support Team at customersupport@terracycle.co.uk or call 01465 915018 and ask them to send you a waste transfer note via email. 

Where can I access a copy of my waste transfer note?

Once you’ve submitted your waste transfer note, a copy will automatically be sent to you via email. You should keep this for your own records for two years. If at any time you need to access your waste transfer note, but cannot find it, please contact our Customer Support Team who will be happy to help source a copy for you. 

I’ve obtained a waste transfer note, but I haven’t sent any shipments in a while. Am I still covered?

As long as you have a waste transfer note on file per location (if in commercial premises) for the year in question, you will be covered for those programmes, even if you don’t send shipments very often. If you join a new programme and you were not sent WTN automatically, please contact our Customer Support Team at customersupport@terracycle.co.uk or call 01465 915018 asking them to issue you a waste transfer note.