The WEEE Paperwork
All you need to know to complete consignment note, apply for licenses and exemptions.
WEEE is Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment and the WEEE Regulations were introduced make sure that WEEE is treated properly and not sent to landfill. All fluorescent lighting, LEDs and light fittings are classed as WEEE.
It is illegal for a business to incorrectly dispose of hazardous waste, or to hand it to a contractor which is not authorised to handle it. This applies to all who:
- Produce or store waste.
- Collect and transport waste.
- Receive waste for recycling or disposal.
Incorrect disposal of hazardous waste could result in prosecution, legal costs, reputational damage – and a fine.
The UK’s four Environment Agencies, one for each UK nation, have reporting procedures in place for tracking, storing and moving WEEE.
- Tracking WEEE – Consignment notes track the movement of WEEE. They make sure the waste is managed responsibly from where it’s produced through to its destination.
- Storing WEEE – Storage exemptions enable low risk waste operations to be undertaken without complex permit controls. These are generally limited to small quantities of waste for use, treatment, or storage.
- Moving WEEE – To move waste electricals, contractors need to register as a Waste Carrier with the agency in the country of their principal business.
Processes and forms for the management of WEEE lighting vary for each UK country.
We have a section for each process, for each country to guide you through your requirements to stay compliant, along with links to apply for licences, exemptions and consignment notes.
If you are struggling, please contact us.
The Move to Digital Waste Tracking
A significant change is underway in how waste movements get recorded across the UK. The government is replacing the current system of paper waste transfer notes and hazardous waste consignment notes with a single digital waste tracking service, aimed at giving regulators real-time visibility of waste movements and making it harder for non-compliant operators to slip through the cracks.
The rollout is happening in two phases; receiving sites are covered in phase 1, then waste collectors, carriers, brokers and dealers are addressed in phase 2.
Phase 1: For waste receivers (such as permitted recycling and waste management companies) the system becomes mandatory from October 2026.
Phase 2: for collectors of waste, such as contractors, end-users, etc.
- From autumn 2026: the service becomes available to an invited group of waste collectors in increasing numbers (private beta).
- From spring 2027: the service opens up publicly to all waste collectors (public beta).
- From October 2027: the digital waste tracking service becomes mandatory for waste collectors.
MOVING WASTE LAMPS
You need to register with the agency in the county of your principle business.
Cross border arrangements are in place for Scotland, Wales and England. There are no cross border arrangements for Northern Ireland. Therefore if your business is primarily in Scotland, but you move waste in England and Wales and Northern Ireland, then you only need to register in Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Click on the regions below to read more:
ENGLAND & WALES
The Waste Regulations 2011 introduced a staged and tiered system for registration of waste carriers. This came into force in January 2014.
No Registration required if you carry waste that you have produced on a one off basis. But if you start to do this regularly, you will have to register as a lower tier waste carrier.
Lower Tier Waste Carriers – For waste producers transporting their own waste. There is no charge to register and the registration only has to be done once as it lasts indefinitely.
Upper Tier Waste Carriers – For all who transport waste which they don’t produce i.e. not their own. This applies to all who are not exempt or in lower tier.
The cost is £244 for a new registration and valid for three years. Renewal is £164.
Links to the Environment Agency
For more information on waste carrier licences
please go to the Gov.UK website
You will also find definitions of waste carriers, brokers and dealers here.
SCOTLAND
In Scotland, you do not need a licence to be a carrier, instead, you must notify SEPA at least three working days in advance and the waste must be moved within one month of the given expected date.
If you carry your own waste (excluding construction and demolition waste) you need to complete a simple registration form and send it to SEPA. There is no charge for this registration which is intended to implement the Waste Framework Directive provisions and is required by The Waste Management Licensing (Scotland) Regulations 2011.
If you carry third party waste, e.g. collecting from your customer, you need to register as a waste carrier as required by The Controlled Waste (Registration and Seizure of Vehicles) Regulations 1991 (as amended). You must to complete an application form (hard copy only) and send together with payment to SEPA.
The current cost £174 for 3 years, £119 for renewal.
SEPA Guidance and application form
NORTHERN IRELAND
The Controlled Waste (Registration of Carriers and Seizure of Vehicles) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1999 place a legal requirement on companies or individuals who transport all categories of controlled waste, to apply for registration.
It is a criminal offence to transport waste without being registered with NIEA that carries a maximum fine of £5,000.
Lower Tier Waste Carriers – required from the NIEA for ALL waste producers transporting their own waste, irrespective of the frequency. There is no charge to register and registration is indefinite.
Upper Tier Waste Carriers – For all who transport waste which they don’t produce e.g. collecting from your customer’s site. The cost is £135 (£69 renewal) and is valid for three years.
STORING WASTE LAMPS
Storage exemptions
Storage exemptions enable low risk waste operations to be undertaken without complex permit controls. These are generally limited to small quantities of waste for use, treatment or storage.
All exemptions require your waste to be stored:
- In secure containers with weatherproof covering.
- In such a way that the glass is not broken.
Click on the regions below to read more:
ENGLAND & WALES
A Non Waste Framework Directive (NWFD) exemption allows you to store at any one time:
- 30 m3 of Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE).
- 50 m3 of non-hazardous waste that isn’t WEEE that will be recovered elsewhere.
- 5 m3 of waste, other than those mentioned above.
A NWFD does not require registration
Conditions for a NWFD exemption
- If more than one type of waste is stored, the different types must not be mixed.
- You can only store waste temporarily; generally no longer than three months.
- You cannot receive payment for collecting waste or collect waste as your main business activity.
refer to the gov.uk pages for waste exemptions
If you do not meet the storage requirements above – you must apply for a Section 2 exemption. This allows you to store up to 400m3 of WEEE in a secure container up to six months. There is no charge for an S2 exemption.
Hazardous Waste Premises Code – HWPC
ENGLAND
As of 1 April 2016, you no longer need a Hazardous Waste Premises Code for England. On your consignment notes and quarterly returns, simply enter the first 6 characters of your business name. This must be consistent across all forms.
After completing your first consignment note with your 6 character code on Recoweb, it will be automatically stored for you for future reference.
WALES
A HWPC is still required for Wales.
If you produce more than 500kg of hazardous waste in a 12 month period you must apply for a hazardous waste premises code with the Environment Agency. This would apply to virtually all our collection points as 500kg equates to two RB19 containers.
Under the Hazardous Waste Regulations 2005 (as amended), it is an offence to produce hazardous waste or remove such waste from a site, unless the site is registered with the Environment Agency.
- Without the code, our recyclers will not be able to collect your containers, as it must be on all consignment notes for waste leaving your site.
- The code must be renewed every 12 months and costs £18.
- You must keep track of this and make sure you keep your code current. If your code expires, you will need to inform us of your new code and expiry date.
SCOTLAND
A simple exemption notification must be submitted to SEPA, this allows you to store up to 50 m3 of WEEE in a three month period.
The registration is: paragraph 48 exemption – storage of WEEE pending recovery elsewhere.
It is free and not time limited as long as the requirements of the registration are being met.
NORTHERN IRELAND
To store waste WEEE lamps you must apply for an exemption with the NIEA.
WEEE (Waste Management Licensing) Regulations (NI) 2006 provides exemptions from waste management licensing specifically for WEEE.
You have two price options:
- Paragraph 50 registration, costing £843 per year
- Paragraph 40 registration, renewable every three years, costing £1,143
Conditions for paragraph 40 and 50 are identical for lamps:
- Maximum quantity 50m3
- Maximum storage time: three months
WEEE CONSIGNMENT NOTES
Consignment notes are used by the Environment Agencies in the UK to track the movement of hazardous waste.
They make sure the waste is managed responsibly from where it’s produced through to its final destination.
You must keep copies of consignment notes for three years – this is an environment agency requirement.
There are variations to completing consignment notes across the UK.
Click on the regions below to read more:
ENGLAND & WALES
In England & Wales a consignment note has three copies, these are for:
- Producers – Whoever produced the waste, either your customer or your own company.
- Carriers – Whoever carried the waste to your site – if this was you should retain the copy, if it was your customer then your customer should retain this copy.
- Consignee – This should be retained by the company who accepts the waste onto site – usually you, the collection point
Taking waste lamps to a Recolight open collection point
Before you drop your lamps at the collection point, you need to complete a consignment note, This is a triplicate form.
You will need to complete parts A,B,C & D as the producer and transporter of the waste and the Collection Point will complete part E.
Waste leaving your Recolight collection point
- The Recolight appointed contractor will complete the consignment note on your behalf and bring it with them.
- You sign this consignment note as true and correct, confirming that waste leaving the site matches what is on the consignment note.
The top copy will be left with you. - When the waste arrives at our Recolight approved contractors site, they will complete Part E of the consignment note to confirm receipt and acceptance of the waste.
- The completed consignment note will then be uploaded to Recoweb, where it can be accessed and downloaded.
- A copy of the consignment note should be retained for your records.
EA for guidance documents and example consignment notes.
Backhauling waste
If you are registered with the Environment Agency as a carrier to transfer waste from another site, you must complete a consignment note. If the site from which you collect produces over 500kg of hazardous waste in a twelve month period you will need their premises code. You can get this from the Public Register
The producers copy should be left at the site you move the waste from. You keep the carriers and consignee copy, which should be fully completed once the waste is accepted onto your site.
Receiving waste at your collection point quarterly returns
As a consignee, you must submit quarterly returns to the Environment Agency to document waste received onto your site.
The cost for a single consignment is quarterly return is £10 (electronic returns) or £19 (paper returns).
Reporting Period | Deadline |
January to March | 30th April |
April to June | 31st July |
July to September | 31st October |
October to December | 31st January |
For your quarterly returns you only need to enter one specific code and entry for the whole quarter.
You do not need to do a form for each consignment.
SCOTLAND
Special Waste Consignment Notes (SWCN)
Special waste in Scotland and must be consigned using a Special Waste Consignment Note (SWCN) containing a unique SEPA issued code. SEPA SA consignment codes cost £15 each. SEPA encourages the use of digital consignment notes and no longer routinely supplies paper consignment notes. Unique codes can be obtained from SEPA and used with SEPA’s digital consignment note templates or other approved formats that comply with the Special Waste Regulations 1996.
Pre-notification
For movements of special waste within Scotland, waste is normally moved under a consignment note and does not require separate pre-notification to SEPA. Where special waste is moved from Scotland to another UK nation, the movement must be pre-notified to SEPA at least three working days and no more than one month before the waste is moved.
| COPY | COLOUR | KEPT BY | |
| prenotification | white | SEPA | Send to SEPA |
| deposit | yellow | SEPA | Send to SEPA |
| consignee | pink | licensed facility | Receives the waste for storage, treatment, disposal or recovery at a suitably licensed/permitted / exempt facility. |
| carrier | blue | carrier | Transports the waste between the premises of the consignor and the consignee. |
| consignor | green | consignor producer | Causes the waste to be removed from the place of production – this can also be the producer; the person who’s activities produced the waste. |
Waste leaving your site
When you arrange a collection through Recolight, our carrier will bring the consignment note with them. You sign this consignment note as true and correct, confirming that waste leaving the site matches what is on the consignment note. The green copy will be left with you.
The carrier will upload a copy of the completed consignment note to Recoweb, where it can be accessed and downloaded for your records. Completed consignment notes are also submitted electronically to SEPA. A copy of the consignment note should be retained for your records.
Backhauling waste
Where a backhaul movement requires pre-notification (for example where special waste is being transported from Scotland to another UK nation), ensure that:
- The consignment note been completed before the waste is moved.
- Any required notification is provided to SEPA at least three working days and no more than one month before the movement takes place
Completing your consignment notes
The following is a summary to help you complete your consignment notes, a full can be found on the SEPA website.
- Determine classification of the waste.
- Obtain a unique SEPA-issued consignment code.
- Complete Sections A and B.
- Where applicable, provide the required pre-notification (white copy) to SEPA.
- Complete section D before the waste leaves the site – confirm the carrier has completed section C.
- Check that the yellow, pink and blue copies travel with the consignee.
- The consignee completes Section E upon receipt of the waste.
- Consignee retains pink and yellow, the blue copy is returned to the Carrier and kept by them for 3 years.
- The consignee sends the yellow copy to SEPA.
- All parties should retain their records for the required statutory retention period.
Submission of Consignment Notes
SEPA requests completed Special Waste Consignment Notes to be submitted electronically to:[email protected]
Further Information
Visit the SEPA Special Waste webpages for the latest guidance, digital SWCN templates and consignment code requests,
NORTHERN IRELAND
Hazardous waste movements in Northern Ireland must be accompanied by a Hazardous Waste Consignment Note (HWCN) containing a unique NIEA-issued consignment number. Before moving hazardous waste, you must either obtain a consignment note containing a pre-printed consignment number from NIEA or obtain a unique consignment number from NIEA for use on your own consignment note format. For single hazardous waste movements, DA consignment codes currently cost £24.
To purchase your codes and download consignment notes, go to
Northern Ireland Environment Agency
Pre-notification
Hazardous waste movements must normally be pre-notified to NIEA at least 72 hours (three working days) and no more than one month before the expected move date. A copy of Parts A and B of the HWCN must be sent to NIEA as part of the notification process. Some repetitive or regular waste movements may be exempt from pre-notification requirements, but a HWCN is still required.
When you collect waste and deliver it to your collection point or receive waste at your collection point you need to provide a Consignee return or a completed consignment note to each producer from which you have received waste within 30 days of the waste acceptance.
This must take the form required in Schedule 8 of the NI Hazardous Waste Regulations.
The consignment note has six copies with five sections, A to E.
Each section is completed by the people involved with each movement of waste. A copy is retained by those listed below.
| COPY | COLOUR | KEPT BY |
| Pre notification | White | NIEA |
| Deposit | Yellow | NIEA |
| Consignee | Pink | The licensed/permitted facility which receives the waste for recycling |
| Carrier | Gold | Carrier of the waste between the consignor/producer to the consignee |
| Consignor | Green | Person that wants the waste to be moved from the premises where it was produced, or is being held |
| Producer | Blue | Any person whose activities produce the waste. The producer and consignor can be the same person |
Waste leaving your site
The Recolight carrier will handle the production of your consignment notes and also pre-notify the NIEA for you.
- The carrier must agree with you, the information placed in sections A and B of the consignment note.
- The Carrier will complete part C of the form.
- You sign part D confirming what is being taken by the carrier is correct.
- The carrier will send the green copy to you.
- As the producer of the waste – you keep the blue copy.
- The completed consignment note will be uploaded to Recoweb, where it can be accessed and downloaded for your records.
Backhauling waste
You must notify the NEIA at least three working days in advance and the waste must be moved within one month of the given expected date.
To do this, complete part A and B, and send the white copy to the NEIA.
- Confirm that all sections of the consignment note are correct.
- Take the remaining copies with you when collecting the waste.
- Ensure Parts C and D are completed before the waste is collected and the required copies left at site Obtain signature of person accepting the waste, the consignee, in this case, yourself.
- Retain the gold and pink copies as the waste carrier and consignee (and the green copy if you are the consignor), send the yellow copy to NIEA.
Receiving waste at your collection point
When receiving waste at your site you must sign all remaining copies to confirm that you have accepted the waste.
- The gold copy should remain with the carrier.
- You keep the pink copy.
- The yellow copy should be sent to the regulator.
If you need any further help completing consignment notes please contact us