What you need when hazardous/special waste is removed from your site

When you want to move hazardous/special waste you must:

complete a Consignment Note (known as Special waste consignment notes (SWCN) in Scotland)
purchase a unique code from the NIEA or SEPA. Each movement of hazardous/special waste must have its own unique code number.

Your environmental regulator may be able to supply the Consignment Notes. You could also make your own, so long as these have spaces for all the information that you need to supply and have the correct number of copies of the information.

If you use your own consignment notes you will still need to purchase the unique code from the NIEA or SEPA.

The codes

The code you get from your environmental regulator will have two letters:

in Northern Ireland either DA, DB, or DC
in Scotland either SA, SB or SC

and it will have a unique six-digit code e.g 123456

Different types of code

In Northern Ireland:

There are 3 different types of Consignment note.

DA plus 6 digit code: Used for a single movement of hazardous waste, or the first collection in a series of collections. DA codes cost £24
DB plus 6 digit code: Used for a movement of hazardous waste that is only used lead acid motor vehicle batteries. DB codes cost £10
DC plus 6 digit code: Used for

the second or following movements of hazardous waste from a regular collection, or
the return of out of spec materials to the producer, or
the removal of waste from a ship to a waste site.

DC codes are free.

In Scotland:

The three different types of consignment note are:

SA plus 6 digit code: Used for a single movement of special waste or the first collection in a series of collections SA codes cost £15
SB plus 6 digit code: Used for a movement of hazardous waste that is only used lead acid motor vehicle batteries. SB codes cost £10
SC plus 6 digit code: Used for
- the second or following movements of hazardous waste from a regular collection, or
- the return of out of spec materials to the producer, or
- the removal of waste from a ship to a waste site.

SC codes are free.

You can purchase consignment notes and the codes from your environmental regulator.

In Northern Ireland

contact the NIEA (hazwaste@daera-ni.gov.uk ) or purchase from the NIEA offices:

Hazardous Waste
Northern Ireland Environment Agency
1st Floor
Klondyke Building
Cromac Avenue
Gasworks Business Park
Belfast
BT7 2JA

In Scotland

Updated Position (June 2022) - SEPA is accepting special waste consignment notes sent in by email only - Completed notes should be submitted to: swcnreturns@sepa.org.uk