Updated: From 1 April 2016, premises will no longer need to register as hazardous waste producers. This change will affect the entire hazardous waste control system. See the guidance effective from 1 April 2016. Or use the current guidance that applies until 31 March 2016.
From 1 April 2016, premises will no longer need to register as hazardous waste producers. This change will affect the entire hazardous waste control system.
See the guidance effective from 1 April 2016.
Use the current guidance that applies until 31 March 2016.
Guidance effective from 1 April 2016
Returns on hazardous waste: overview
If you receive (or reject) any hazardous waste you must send a report to the Environment Agency. These are known as ‘returns’.
This includes for example, a:
service business depot receiving waste produced by its staff at customer premises, eg service engineers maintaining refrigeration units, photocopiers, lifts, forklifts etc
business moving its own waste from one of its premises to another of its premises
business accepting waste returned by/from its customers, eg shops or suppliers accepting waste electrical devices or paint from business customers
registered exempt or permitted waste facility accepting hazardous waste from others
exempt or permitted site that rejects a hazardous waste, eg because the site was not permitted to accept it
If you dispose of hazardous waste at the premises where it is produced you may also need to send returns.
If you do any of these things you are a ‘consignee’.
Consignee returns: using the spreadsheet tool
Completing the spreadsheet
To use the spreadsheet you need to have a Windows operating system, and to enable macros in Microsoft Office/Excel.
You must complete the spreadsheet in this order:
click on ‘consignee details’ - you can click the ‘i’ button for guidance
enter contact details, and press ‘>’
enter site details, and press ‘>’
enter billing details and return period, and press ‘save’
press ‘exit’ to return to the main menu - this is available on each screen
click on consignment details
click ‘add new consignment’ to add details of a consignment
note: the producer postcode must be the postcode from part A2, the place where the waste was collected from
if there is more than one type of waste in the consignment, add them by using ‘add new waste’, also use this if a waste will have more than one method of disposal or recovery - you can also use the add new waste details to an existing consignment from the main screen
‘save’, then ‘exit’
see guidance on how to complete the return for:
consignments from Scotland and Northern Ireland
waste received without a consignment note
wastes you rejected
consignments notes containing incorrect information
once you’ve added all consignments recheck all the information you’ve entered to make sure it’s correct. Common errors include:
data entered in tonnes instead of kg
producer postcode incorrect
once you’ve checked the information press ‘validate’ to identify some types of incorrect information - these must be corrected before sending to the Environment Agency
click on the ‘main menu’ tab on the bottom left of the page
create the return
click on the ‘create return’ button to create and save the output file and note the name
upload to sharefile or email hazwastereturn@environment-agency.gov.uk
It’s an offence to submit incomplete, false or misleading data – you need robust quality control procedures to deliver complete and accurate information.
Copy from your own spreadsheet
If you copy and paste consignment note information from your own records to the Environment Agency returns spreadsheet you must:
make sure you use the same order and format
use the same units, eg kg
ensure there’s no missing data
Use ‘validate’ to spot mistakes
This will help identify data errors made:
when entering information on the spreadsheet
on consignment notes
Minimise mistakes by having:
staff training and quality controls
checks at the waste acceptance stage, so you immediately spot consignment note errors and address them with the producer (for parts A, B and D), and the carrier (for part C)
Consignee returns: reduced reporting and charges
For certain waste movements the Environment Agency accepts reduced reporting and charging requirements. This position only applies:
to the wastes listed below
for the first movement of the hazardous waste from the premises where it is produced to a permitted or exempt consignee
where the other requirements of the hazardous waste regulations have been fully complied with, eg use of consignment note
where the consignment note coding standard (XXXXXX/YYYYYD) has been used - see the guidance on consignment
Hazardous waste moved without a consignment note cannot benefit from reduced reporting requirements and charges.
Wastes with reduced reporting requirements
Code:
16 05 04* aerosol air fresheners from washrooms
20 01 33* dry cell portable batteries
20 01 21* 16 02 13* 16 02 15* 20 01 35* fluorescent tubes and other lighting equipment
16 06 01* lead acid motor vehicle batteries - applies only to consignment of 5 or fewer batteries
20 01 19* pesticides (municipal)
14 06 01* recovered refrigerant gases
18 02 02* 18 02 05* 18 02 07* veterinary waste from farms - applies only to consignments of waste taken from the farm to a veterinary practice for storage pending collection
16 01 04* un-depolluted end of life vehicles (ELVs) - applies only where the first movement is direct to an authorised treatment facility (ATF)
15 01 10* empty unclean packaging destined for reconditioning, remanufacturing or rebottling under an environmental permit (not exemptions) - for this position, remanufacturing means only processes where the original core components of the packaging are reused
any, small samples of waste being sent to laboratories for analysis
the first movement is the place where the sample was taken or produced
applies to samples produced as part of a recognised quality assurance scheme
20 01 35* with 20 01 36 small mixed waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) from domestic households
excludes other separately collected WEEE items, eg CRTs, monitors and flat screen TVs, refrigeration equipment, large domestic appliances, batteries and fluorescent lamps
place of production is a household WEEE collection point (civic amenity site, bring bank, or a shop offering in store take back)
unsorted loads must be classified as both 20 01 35* and 20 01 36 unless hazardous items and components have been identified and removed
Consignment note return: how to complete for wastes with reduced reporting requirements
To complete the consignee return for these wastes follow these steps:
Produce a new consignment note code using XXXXXX/YYYYYD format, where:
XXXXXX/YYYYY is the standard consignment note code format, generated using the consignee site information
‘D’ identifies that you are using reduced reporting requirements
Enter that consignment note code in the consignee return and:
mark the type of consignment as ‘single’
enter date received as the last day of the quarter, in the format DD/MM/YYYY
use postcode for the consignee site
Enter the List of Waste code for each waste you received with reduced reporting requirements (for example use 20 01 21* for fluorescent tubes) and then enter the:
total quantity (kg) of each List of Waste code received during that quarter
recovery or disposal code for the activity you applied to the waste
physical form of the waste
hazardous properties for the waste (HP1 to HP15, and POP)
An Environment Agency regulatory position means it will not normally take enforcement action for failure to report these waste movements in full unless:
other hazardous waste requirements are not complied with
activity has caused, or is likely to cause pollution or harm to health
You cannot reduce your reporting requirement and charges for unconsigned movements of hazardous waste.
Consignments from Scotland and Northern Ireland
Enter these on your return – there are 4 differences in the way you record the information.
Change the consignment note code
To do this:
remove the first letter from the code
if the remaining code is 1 letter and 8 numbers, add ‘SC’ (Scotland) or ‘NI’ (Northern Ireland) at the start of the code
if the remaining code is 1 letter and 7 numbers, add ‘SC’ (Scotland) or ‘NI’ (Northern Ireland) at the start of the code, and add ‘0’ (zero) after the third letter
add ‘/’ after the first 6 digits
For example, SA3876543 becomes SCA038/76543.
‘Type of consignment’ must be ‘single’
Multiple collections apply only to England or Wales.
If the consignment was a carrier’s round collecting waste(s) from several producers
Do not enter each individual collection, instead enter the:
details of any one producer
total quantity of each waste type collected in the round
Returns for rejected waste
You must report rejected waste on your quarterly return – even if your site has no permit to accept that hazardous waste type.
There are no fees for rejected wastes you report.
For rejected waste with a consignment note:
at ‘mode of disposal’ enter ‘REJ’
enter all other details (including quantity) as if you accepted the waste
For rejected waste with no consignment note:
use the REJECT/YYYYY code and other information from the record you created when you rejected the waste
at ‘mode of disposal’ enter ‘REJ’
If you rejected but afterwards accepted it, enter 2 returns, one for the:
rejected load, using the rejected consignment note code
accepted load, using the code and other required information from the new consignment note - the new note will have the correct classification and description and the relevant recovery or disposal code in the ‘mode of disposal’ field
See rejected loads guidance – accept rejected waste.
There is a charge for the accepted load.
If you rejected a waste because it was misclassified/described as hazardous waste, but subsequently accepted it as non-hazardous, you only need report the rejected ‘hazardous’ load.
Consignment note errors
Your return must have complete and accurate information.
You must ensure that:
your waste acceptance procedures identify incomplete or inaccurate consignment notes
you follow rejected load rules - see rejected loads guidance
If you identify the error after you accept the waste (after signing part E of the note) in the return, you must:
enter the original incorrect information against the relevant consignment note number
enter the corrected information against a new consignment note number (as if it were a rejected load) - the new number is the original number with an ‘R’ added at the end, ie XXXXXX/YYYYYR
You must keep an additional record in your register of what:
information was wrong on the original note
you did to identify the correct information and prevent the error recurring with respect to the producer, holder, carrier or consignor
action you’ve taken to improve your waste acceptance
Mistakes and omissions on returns
If your return has wrong information, or you’ve not included one or more consignments, you must:
correct and resubmit your return
telephone the Environment Agency on 03708 506 506 (call charges) and ask them to cancel the existing return. Confirm this by email to hazwastereturn@environment-agency.gov.uk
Self disposal returns
If you dispose of your own hazardous waste by depositing it on the site where it was produced, you must send a consignee return providing details of this.
This applies to activities:
D01: putting the waste into or onto land
D02: land treatment
D03: deep injection
D04: surface impoundment
D05: putting the waste into a special landfill designed for that waste
D06: releasing waste into a lake or river
D12: permanently storing the waste
You do not need to provide a return to the Environment Agency for temporary storage at the premises of production that meets the conditions of that exemption.
To record self disposal waste on a consignee return, you first need to create a consignment note code in the format XXXXXX/YYYYYS, where:
XXXXXX/YYYYY is the standard consignment note code format for that premises - see consignment note guidance
‘S’ identifies that you are making a self disposal return
Then enter this consignment on your returns spreadsheet by:
clicking ‘single’ at ‘type of consignment’
entering the last day of the quarter period where it says ‘date received’
at ‘quantity (kilograms)’, entering the total quantity of each waste you disposed of at your site during the quarter
completing all other information as you would for a regular consignment return
Other ways to send your return
XML
Send this to the Environment Agency by email at hazwastereturn@environment-agency.gov.uk (do not use this email address for enquiries). If you need help to create an XML return, telephone 03708 506 506, (call charges).
By post
You can get a paper form and guidance from the Environment Agency - call 03708 506 506, (call charges). Charges for paper returns are higher than for electronic returns – it is £19 for each single consignment and £10 for each multiple consignment.
Producer or holder returns
The consignee must send a return to the producer or holder of the waste entered in part A2 on the consignment note. If the consignor is not the producer or holder, you must also send them a return. The return tells them what happened to their waste.
You can create a return in one of two ways:
use the format set out in the regulations
send both a copy of the fully completed consignment note and a description or confirmation of the disposal or recovery method for each waste on the consignment - required because part E of the note is completed when the waste is received before the operation starts
Where the producer/holder and consignee are part of the same organisation a return must still be sent and held in the producer/holder register.
Consignee details
Name of consignee
Postcode
Consignee hazardous waste id code
Date(a)
Consignment note number
Date received
Mode of transport
Frequency of collection (b)
EWC code(s) (c)
Hazards (d) Physical form (e)
Quantity (kg) (f)
Mode of disposal
(a) date of submission of the return by the consignee
(b) where relevant
(c) there may be more than one waste stream for each consignment note. All relevant EWC (List of Waste codes) must be recorded
(d) hazardous: each individual EWC code may have more than one hazard. Each appropriate hazard for a particular EWC code must be entered. Choose all of the appropriate hazards for a particular waste
(e) physical form (gas, liquid, mixed, powder, sludge or solid)
Current guidance - applies until 31 March 2016
Returns on hazardous waste
If your premises is located in England and it receives (or rejects) any hazardous waste you must send a report to the Environment Agency. These are known as ‘returns’.
Premises include for example:
a mobile service depot receiving waste produced by its staff at customer premises
a business moving its own waste from one of its premises to another of its premises
a business accepting waste returned by/from its customers
exempt or permitted waste facilities accepting hazardous waste from others
exempt or permitted sites that reject a hazardous waste (for example, because the site was not permitted to accept it)
If you dispose of hazardous waste at the premises where it is produced you may also need to send returns.
If you do any of these things you are a ‘consignee’.
Consignee returns: using the spreadsheet tool
Completing the spreadsheet
To use the spreadsheet you need to have a Windows operating system, and to enable macros in Microsoft Office/Excel.
You must complete the spreadsheet in this order:
click on ‘consignee details’ (clicking the ‘i’ button for guidance)
enter contact details, and press ‘>’
enter site details, and press ‘>’
enter billing details and return period, and press ‘save’
press ‘exit’ to return to the main menu (this is available on each screen)
click on consignment details
click ‘add new consignment’ to add details of a consignment
note: the producer postcode must be the postcode from part A2, the place where the waste was collected from
if there is more than one type of waste in the consignment, add them by using ‘add new waste’, also use this if a waste will have more than one method of disposal or recovery (you can also use the add new waste details to an existing consignment from the main screen)
‘save’, then ‘exit’
see supplementary guidance for advice on how to complete the return for:
consignments from Scotland and Northern Ireland
waste received without a consignment note
wastes you rejected
consignments notes containing incorrect information
once you’ve added all consignments recheck all the information you’ve entered to make sure it’s correct. Common errors include:
producer registration number incorrect
data entered in tonnes instead of kg
producer postcode incorrect
once you’ve checked the information press ‘validate’. This will identify some types of incorrect information, which must be corrected before sending to the Environment Agency
click on the ‘main menu’ tab on the bottom left of the page
create the return
click on the ‘create return’ button to create and save the output file (note the name)
note: it’s an offence to submit incomplete, false or misleading data – make sure you have robust quality control procedures in place to deliver complete and accurate information
upload to sharefile or email hazwastereturn@environment-agency.gov.uk
Copy from your own spreadsheet
If you copy and paste consignment note information from your own records to the Environment Agency returns spreadsheet you must:
make sure you use the same order and format
use the same units (for example, kg)
ensure there’s no missing data
Use ‘validate’ to spot mistakes
This will help identify data errors made:
when entering information on the spreadsheet
on consignment notes
Minimise mistakes by having:
staff training and quality controls
checks at the waste acceptance stage, so you immediately spot consignment note errors and address them with the producer (for parts A, B and D), and the carrier (for part C)
Consignee returns: reduced reporting and charges
For certain waste movements the Environment Agency has a regulatory position that allows reduced reporting requirements. This in turn reduces charges.
This position only applies:
where the other requirements of the hazardous waste regulations have been fully complied with (eg use of consignment note)
to the first movement of the hazardous wastes from the premises of production to a permitted or exempt consignee
Wastes with reduced reporting requirements
Code:
16 05 04* aerosol air fresheners from washrooms
20 01 33* dry cell portable batteries
20 01 21* 16 02 13* 16 02 15* 20 01 35* fluorescent tubes and other lighting equipment
16 06 01* lead acid motor vehicle batteries - applies only to a consignment of 5 or fewer batteries
20 01 19* pesticides (municipal)
14 06 01* recovered refrigerant gases
18 02 02* 18 02 05* 18 02 07* veterinary waste from farms - applies only to consignments of waste taken from the farm to a veterinary practice for storage pending collection
16 01 04* un-depolluted end of life vehicles (ELVs) - applies only where the first movement is direct to an authorised treatment facility (ATF)
15 01 10* empty unclean packaging destined for reconditioning, remanufacturing or rebottling under an environmental permit (not exemptions) - for this position, remanufacturing means only processes where the original core components of the packaging are reused
any, small samples of waste being sent to laboratories for analysis
the first movement is the place where the sample was taken or produced
applies to samples produced as part of a recognised quality assurance scheme
20 01 35* with 20 01 36 small mixed WEEE from domestic households
excludes other separately collected WEEE items, eg CRTs, monitors and flat screen TVs, refrigeration equipment, large domestic appliances, batteries and fluorescent lamps
place of production is a household WEEE collection point (civic amenity site, bring bank, or a shop offering in store take back)
unsorted loads must be classified as both 20 01 35* and 20 01 36 unless hazardous items and components have been identified and removed
Consignment note return: how to complete for wastes with reduced reporting requirements
To complete the consignee return for these wastes follow these steps
Produce a new consignment note code using AAAnnn/QxYYC format, where:
AAAnnn is the premises code of the consignee site receiving the waste
Qx is the quarter of the year (‘Q1’ January to March, ‘Q2’ April to June etc)
YY is the year (‘15’ for 2015)
C is the country – (‘E’ for England)
Enter that consignment note code in the consignee return and:
mark the type of consignment as ‘single’
enter date received as the last day of the quarter, in the format DD/MM/YYYY
use the premises code and postcode for the consignee site
Enter the EWC code for each waste you received with reduced reporting requirements (for example use 20 01 21* for fluorescent tubes) and then enter the:
total quantity (kg) of each EWC code received during that quarter
recovery or disposal code for the activity you applied to the waste
physical form of the waste
hazardous properties for the waste (HP1 to HP15)
An Environment Agency regulatory position means they will not normally take enforcement action for failure to report these waste movements in full unless:
other hazardous waste requirements are not complied with
the activity has caused, or is likely to cause pollution or harm to health
You cannot reduce your reporting requirement and charges for unconsigned movements of hazardous waste.
Consignments from Scotland and Northern Ireland
Enter these on your return – there are 4 differences in the way you record the information.
Change the consignment note code
To do this:
remove the first letter from the code
if the remaining code is 1 letter and 8 numbers, add ‘SC’ (Scotland) or ‘NI’ (Northern Ireland) at the start of the code
if the remaining code is 1 letter and 7 numbers, add ‘SC’ (Scotland) or ‘NI’ (Northern Ireland) at the start of the code, and add ‘0’ (zero) after the third letter
add ‘/’ after the first 6 digits
For example, SA3876543 becomes SCA038/76543.
‘Type of consignment’ must be ‘single’
Multiple collections apply only to England or Wales.
Mark the producer or holder located in Scotland as ‘exempt’
Premises registration applies only to England and Wales.
If the consignment was a carrier’s round collecting waste(s) from several producers
Do not enter each individual collection, instead enter:
the details of any one producer
the total quantity of each waste type collected in the round.
No consignment note
You may be guilty of an offence if you accept hazardous waste without a consignment note, or fail to report receiving such waste on your return documents.
If you receive hazardous waste without a consignment note, you must report it on your quarterly return, and include these changes:
the consignment code you use is EXENON/CNxxx, where ‘xxx’ is a unique code (of either 3 numbers or letters or a mix of both) that you give to that consignment
the ‘type of consignment’ is ‘single’
You must enter a separate consignment note number for each hazardous waste you receive without a consignment note.
If you do not know where the waste came from, you may use your site’s premises code and postcode.
Returns for rejected waste
You must report rejected waste on your quarterly return – even if your site has no permit to accept that hazardous waste type.
There are no fees for rejected wastes you report.
For rejected waste with a consignment note:
at ‘mode of disposal’ enter ‘REJ’
enter all other details (including quantity) as if you accepted the waste
For rejected waste with no consignment note:
use the REJECT/XXXYY code and other information from the record you created when you rejected the waste
at ‘mode of disposal’ enter ‘REJ’
If you rejected a consignment of hazardous waste because of misclassification or a wrong description, but afterwards accepted it, make 2 entries on the return:
one for the rejected load, using the rejected consignment note code
one for the accepted load, using the code and other required information from the new consignment note. The new note will have the correct classification and description, and the relevant recovery or disposal code (in the ‘mode of disposal’ field)
See rejected loads guidance – accept rejected waste.
There is a charge for the accepted load.
If you rejected a waste because it was misclassified/described as hazardous waste, but subsequently accepted it as non-hazardous, you only need report the rejected ‘hazardous’ load.
Consignment note errors
Your return must have complete and accurate information.
If the information on the consignment note is invalid, incomplete or incorrect (for example, the wrong waste classification code (EWC) has been used or the producer is not registered or exempt) you should ensure that you:
identify and address this during waste acceptance, when part E of the consignment note is completed
reject the waste where appropriate (see rejected loads guidance)
don’t amend or correct any information in parts A, B, C or D of the original consignment note
If you identify the error after you accept the waste you must enter the correct information on the return by changing the consignment note number to the correct format (for example, containing the correct premises code).
You must keep an additional record in your register of:
the original note and code
what information was wrong on the note
what you did to identify the correct information and prevent the error recurring
the corrected information entered on the return
Also, if you have accepted waste from a producer who is not registered or exempt, telephone the Environment Agency immediately on 03708 506 506 (call charges) and tell them the producer’s name, address and postcode. Record the consignment note on the returns as EXENOT/REGzz, where ‘zz’ is a unique code you give to the consignment using either letters or numbers or both.
Mistakes and omissions on returns
If your return has wrong information, or you haven’t included one or more consignments, you must:
correct and resubmit your return
telephone the Environment Agency on 03708 506 506 (call charges) and ask them to cancel the existing return. Confirm this by email - hazwastereturn@environment-agency.gov.uk
Self disposal returns
If you dispose of your own hazardous waste by depositing it on the site where it was produced, you must send a consignee return providing details of this.
This applies to the following activities:
D01: putting the waste into or onto land
D02: land treatment
D03: deep injection
D04: surface impoundment
D05: putting the waste into a special landfill designed for that waste
D06: releasing waste into a lake or river
D12: permanently storing the waste
The Environment Agency does not need a return for temporary storage at the premises of production (that meets the conditions of that exemption).
To record self disposal waste on a consignee return, you first need to create a consignment note code in the format AAANNN/QQYYC, where:
AAANNN is your 6 digit premises code
QQ is the reporting quarter – either Q1, Q2, Q3, or Q4
YY is the last 2 numbers of the year – so ‘14’ for 2014
C is the first letter of the country – ‘E’ for England
Then enter this consignment on your returns spreadsheet by:
clicking ‘single’ at ‘type of consignment’
entering the last day of the quarter period where it says ‘date received’
at ‘quantity (kilograms)’, entering the total quantity of each waste you disposed of at your site during the quarter
completing all other information as you would for a regular consignment return
Other ways to send
XML
Send this to the Environment Agency by email at hazwastereturn@environment-agency.gov.uk (do not use this email address for enquiries) – if you need help to create an XML return, telephone 03708 506 506 (call charges).
By post
You can get a paper form and guidance from the Environment Agency - call 03708 506 506, (call charges). Charges for paper returns are higher than for electronic returns – it is £19 for each single consignment and £10 for each multiple consignment.
Producer or holder returns
The consignee must send a return to the producer or holder of the waste identified on the consignment note. If the consignor is not the producer or holder, you must also send them a return. The return tells them what happened to their waste.
You can create a return in two ways:
use the format set out in the regulations
or
send both:
a copy of the fully completed consignment note
a description or confirmation of the disposal or recovery method applied to each waste named on the consignment. This second is required because part E of the note is completed when the waste is received, prior to the operation being performed
Where the producer/holder and consignee are part of the same organisation a return must still be sent and held in the producer/holder register.
Consignee details
Name of consignee
Postcode
Consignee hazardous waste id code
Date(a)
Consignment note number
Date received
Mode of transport
Frequency of collection (b)
EWC code(s) (c)
Hazards (d) Physical form (e)
Quantity (kg) (f)
Mode of disposal
(a) date of submission of the return by the consignee
(b) where relevant
(c) there may be more than one waste stream for each consignment note. All relevant EWC (List of Waste codes) must be recorded
(d) hazardous: each individual EWC code may have more than one hazard. Each appropriate hazard for a particular EWC code must be entered. Choose all of the appropriate hazards for a particular waste
(e) physical form (gas, liquid, mixed, powder, sludge or solid)