Waste Duty of Care

The Duty of Care legislation sets legal responsibility to ensure waste is handled in a way that does not harm the environment and human health. It is the waste producer's responsibility to make sure their waste is handed only to an authorized waste handler, at which point the waste duty of care is transferred. 

Please read below to understand how TerraCycle's supply chain complies with the requirements and see if your collection may require a Waste Transfer Note.

1. Waste Transfer Note (WTN) 

Waste Transfer Notes are documents that detail the transfer of waste from one person to another. An annual Waste Transfer Note is needed for waste originating from:

  • A Business: waste resulting from a commercial/business activity.
  • A Free Recycling Programme Public Drop-Off Point set up in commercial/business premises: waste collected from your local community.

In order to receive your WTN, please ensure you have correctly added all the necessary information to your TerraCycle account:

  1. ‘Edit your information’ in your TerraCycle account. 
  2. For free recycling programmes: please make sure the listed information is correct (collection point address and organisation type). If you are registered as a public drop-off point and you need to change your address, you will need to contact our customer care team.

For our Zero Waste Box service: please ensure your organisation name and collection address are correct.

  1. Add your SIC code in the box provided. If you are unsure what a SIC code is or need help, please refer to the Companies House Website. Note: If you do not provide your SIC code, your waste transfer note will not be automatically generated.
  2. Save your account information.
    For our Zero Waste Box service: Alternatively, if you're a business and have purchased boxes outside of the online shop, please complete this form following instructions from our step by step guide. Once you’ve submitted your WTN, a copy will automatically be sent to the email you used to fill in the form.

Please note, members of the public (households) sending the waste generated by themselves to TerraCycle® or taking the waste to Free Recycling Programmes Public Drop-off Pointsset up by another TerraCycle® collector are exempt from requiring waste transfer notes.

After you have reviewed your profile and added in the SIC code, you will receive Waste Transfer Notes for all the active programmes you have already joined. 

Waste Transfer Notes are issued by programme or type of waste that you collect and it covers your location for a whole calendar year. At the start of each calendar year and any time you join a new programme or purchase a Zero Waste Box, your Waste Transfer Note(s) will automatically be emailed to you provided your account details are up to date.

Please keep in mind, Waste Transfer Notes for shipments via pallets are handled by TerraCycle® directly with the collector registered on the programme.

2. Waste Storage Permit

This permit is not required for Free Recycling Programmes Public Drop-Off Points Administrators who temporarily store waste at collection location before sending waste to TerraCycle®, as it complies with the requirements of waste exemption (Non-Waste Framework Directive 4).

However, all collectors should fulfil the conditions set (some of the main conditions are outlined below, but please see the full list of conditions here and here):

  • You must not collect waste as your main business activity
  • You must not carry out any waste treatment activity that changes the characteristics of waste
  • You must not store more than 5 cubic metres of waste at any one time
  • You must not store waste for longer than 3 months

3. Waste Carrier Licence (WCL)

A WCL is required by businesses and charities who transport waste from the site it is collected at (e.g. when transporting the waste from a free recycling programme public drop-off point to a UPS access point).

TerraCycle® free recycling programmes members collecting on behalf of a business or who only transport waste produced by their own business activity, must apply for/be registered as an Upper Tier Waste Carrier. Please register here (registration is for a fee and lasts 3 years).

TerraCycle® free recycling programmes members working for a charity and raising funds for this charity who also transport waste, must apply for/be registered as a Lower Tier Waste Carrier. Please register here (registration is free and lasts indefinitely).

If you’re using a pickup service offered by TerraCycle®’s transport partner, this registration is not needed (as this is covered by TerraCycle® Third Party Waste Carriers Licence, see details below).

Members of the public (households) managing Free Recycling Programmes Public Drop-off Points, and who occasionally transport waste collected through Free Recycling Programmes Public Drop-off Points from other households, are exempt from requiring a Waste Carrier Licence.

The TerraCycle® supply chain is covered by the following waste permits / licenses:

TerraCycle®’s Waste Broker/Dealer Licences

  • Please click here to view the waste dealer/broker licence for England, Wales and Scotland.
  • Please click here to view the waste broker licence for Northern Ireland.

TerraCycle®’s Third Party Material Recycling Facility (MRF) Permit

  • Please click here to view the warehouse waste storage permit for TerraCycle®’s third party MRF.

TerraCycle®’s Third Party Waste Carrier Licences

  • Please click here to view the waste carrier licence for TerraCycle®’s third party parcel transporter UPS for England, Wales and Scotland.
  • Please click here to view the waste carrier licence for TerraCycle®’s third party parcel transporter UPS for Northern Ireland by searching Reg number: ROC UT 5709.
  • Please click here to view the waste carrier licence for TerraCycle®’s third party parcel transporter Inpost for England, Wales and Scotland.