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Waste Documentation – How It Works

Waste Documentation – An Introduction

All businesses in the UK that produce waste are responsible for the manner in which it is transported and/or disposed of. To ensure all businesses adhere to their legal obligations there is a set of stringent criteria laid out and waste documentation is used to monitor this.

There are various levels of waste documentation and although it is quite clear which documentation should be completed for different types of waste – the process of completing and storing this documentation is not always so straightforward. Quick Consign has spent the last five years developing, refining and delivering a digital waste documentation solution that aims to not only make life easier for those collecting waste, but for all parties involved in the process.


Hazardous and Non Hazardous Waste Paperwork

At Quick Consign, it is our aim to make the subtitle to this paragraph redundant. As a company, it is our aim to streamline waste documentation processes and in fact reduce waste involved in the process altogether. That means that hazardous waste paperwork will hopefully become a thing of the past – as we ensure that our digital consignment note system works for all businesses with enough flexibility to meet the demands of the smallest and largest organisations. In turn, we hope that our system will eradicate the need for paper based waste documentation.

There are two key waste documents that all businesses that produce waste must be aware of. A Hazardous Waste Consignment Note (HWCN) must be used for the movement of any kind of waste that can be deemed hazardous to human health. For all non-hazardous waste, a Waste Transfer Note (WTN) must be used. The latter is also sometimes known as a Duty of Care Note and carries the official title ‘Duty of Care: Waste Transfer Note’.


Hazardous Waste Consignment Notes

A common question that we field often at Quick Consign is when do I need to use a hazardous waste note? The reality is that any time hazardous waste is moved from one physical location to another, then hazardous waste paperwork will need to be completed. This includes transporting waste within the same business to another location.

There are 5 parts to a HWCN and three copies are required in total. The first two parts need to be completed prior to removal of the waste. It is no doubt starting to become clear as to how Quick Consign’s digital platform can make the entire process much more streamlined and efficient.

Part B of the HWCN requires a description of the hazardous waste and crucially requires the 6 digit EWC (European Waste Catalogue) code to identify the waste in question. You are also required to apply the correct UN classification code (of which there are 9 in total).

For businesses that produce a lot of hazardous waste, it is not just the completion of these hazardous waste tickets that can be problematic, but when it comes to storing them it becomes an onerous administration task – and one that is crucially important from a legal standpoint. Our digital Quick Consign system makes the completion, processing and storage of HWCNs much more efficient and thanks to our secure servers your data will be 100% safe and secure.

It is possible to use your own version of the Environmental Agency issued HWCN but the information fields will need to be exactly the same – we firmly believe that our digital solution is by far the best way to complete HWCNs.


Waste Transfer Notes

As with Hazardous waste, any non hazardous waste will require a Duty of Care Waste Transfer Note to be completed and stored for at least 2 years and this covers all forms of business waste. Business waste is classified as ‘any waste that comes from a commercial activity’ (Gov.uk).

It is also important to note that it is the duty of the business creating the waste to have have taken reasonable steps to reduce, use and recycle their waste prior to disposal.

Once at the disposal stage a registered waste carrier must be used to dispose of commercial waste. If you want to dispose of your own waste then the business must become registered as a waste carrier. In most cases, it is far more economical to use an approved waste carrier.

A Waste Transfer Note is required for all waste disposal that is non-hazardous. Although it is not quite as complex as a HWCN it still requires careful consideration and still adds an administrative burden to your company with the legal requirement of storage for 2 years.

Again, Quick Consign offers a fast, efficient and highly secure way to manage WTNs and our clients find that our system is highly effective for them.


Why Use Quick Consign For Your Waste Documentation?

Quick Consign was established in 2014 and now has 5 years of experience within the waste management software space. Having collaborated with all four of the UK Environmental Agencies as well as some of the UK’s biggest Waste Management companies – Quick Consign has now become the go to digital waste management solution.

As a waste carrier, the chances are that you are going to process thousands upon thousands of consignment notes each year. In addition to this, you will no doubt require a robust administration system to process these notes and store the data securely. Our clients tell us that Quick Consign saves them hours and hours of time each and every week as we handle all of the admin securely on our servers.

Quick Consign handles waste transfer notes and consignment notes brilliantly – but it is so much more than that too. In fact, Quick Consign has a rich library of features that you can access including invoicing, a quote generator, real time reporting, risk assessments and more.

What really sets us apart though is our ability to adapt and offer a bespoke solution that meets the needs of your business completely. Our drive for a system that can work for all is partly due to our experience within the waste industry ourselves – Quick Consign is born from waste management – not from that of a large IT firm and as such our clients tell us that Quick Consign really does make their management of waste so much easier.


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