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 Public Drop-Off Location set up in commercial/business premises: waste collected from your local community.

For Public Drop-off Locations set up by members of the public (households), the address and SIC code (Standard Industrial Classification of Economic Activities) of the commercial premises in which waste is collected should be listed and “Position” should be detailed as “Collector” on section A of the TerraCycle® waste transfer note.

SIC codes provide a description of the company's nature of business. If you’re unsure, please find it on the Companies House website.

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

To receive your TerraCycle® waste transfer note for parcels sent via UPS, please follow the steps outlined here

Please keep in mind, waste transfer notes for shipments via pallets are handled by TerraCycle® directly with the collector registered on the programme.

A waste transfer note is issued by programme and it covers your location for a whole calendar year. Every year, a new waste transfer note will need to be requested. If you join a new programme, you will need to request a new waste transfer note for this programme before sending any shipments.

2. Waste Storage Permit

This permit is not required for Public Drop-Off Locations Administrators who temporarily store waste 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 public drop-off location to a UPS access point).

TerraCycle® 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® 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 Public Drop-off Locations, and who occasionally transport waste collected at Public Drop-off Locations 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 pallet transporter.