The short answer
Waste oil is hazardous waste. In England, every time hazardous waste is moved off your premises it needs a hazardous waste consignment note. The note travels with the oil until it reaches the site that receives it. You keep your copy, and you keep your records for 3 years. We provide one with every hazardous waste collection.
If you run a garage, workshop, factory, farm or fleet depot, you’ll get a consignment note each time your waste oil, used oil filters or interceptor waste is collected. This guide explains what’s on it and what you need to do with it.
What is a consignment note?
A consignment note is the paperwork that tracks hazardous waste from where it was produced to where it ends up. It records what the waste is, how much there is, where it came from, who carried it and where it went. If anyone ever asks what happened to your waste oil, your consignment notes are the proof that you dealt with it properly.
The government’s guidance is simple: “You must use consignment notes to move hazardous waste”, and the note must stay with the waste until it reaches its final destination.
Who fills in which part?
The standard form has five parts. The part you complete depends on your role:
- Part A and Part B: the producer or holder of the waste (you, the business that made or stored it)
- Part C: the carrier who collects and transports it
- Part D: the consignor who hands the waste to the carrier (usually you again)
- Part E: the consignee, the permitted site that receives the waste
You don’t have to use the government’s printed form. Your waste contractor can supply a note, as long as it contains the same information.
What goes on a waste oil consignment note
- A consignment note code. This is the first six letters or numbers of your business name, then a forward slash, then five characters, for example ABCGAR/00012. Each code is only used once.
- Where the waste is coming from and going to: your site address and postcode, and the receiving site’s details.
- The process that produced it and its SIC code (the standard code for your business activity).
- A full description of the waste and its six-digit waste code. For example, 13 02 05* covers mineral-based non-chlorinated engine, gear and lubricating oils, and 16 01 07* covers oil filters. The asterisk means the waste is hazardous.
- The quantity in kilograms, its physical form (liquid, sludge and so on), its hazard codes, and the containers it’s in, for example “3 x 205L metal drum”.
What happens to the copies
When the waste is collected, you keep one copy and give two to the carrier. The carrier’s copies travel with the waste to the receiving site. Later, you’ll also receive a consignee return from the site that took the waste. Keep that with your consignment notes.
How long do you keep consignment notes?
Producers and holders must keep their records (called a “register”) for 3 years at the premises that produced or stored the waste. That includes consignment notes, consignee returns and any related documents. If something on a document was incomplete, keep a record of the missing information too.
Consignment note or waste transfer note?
People often mix these up. A waste transfer note is for non-hazardous waste, such as general rubbish or cardboard. You keep it for 2 years, and you can use a “season ticket” to cover repeat collections for up to a year. A consignment note is for hazardous waste, such as waste oil, oil filters and interceptor waste. Waste oil always needs a consignment note, not a waste transfer note.
Do I need to register as a hazardous waste producer?
Not in England. Premises registration for hazardous waste producers ended on 1 April 2016. You still have to follow the consignment note and record-keeping rules. Wales has its own rules.
Mobile mechanics and on-site work
If you work at a customer’s business premises, for example as a mobile fitter servicing a fleet, the guidance says the customer’s business name and address go in Part A2, and your own details go in Part A4 as the producer.
How it works with BL Oils
We’re an Environment Agency upper-tier waste carrier and dealer (CBDU69834). We bring the paperwork to every collection of waste oil, oil filters or interceptor waste. You check the details, sign and keep your copy. For more on your wider legal duties, see is waste oil hazardous waste? and digital waste tracking.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a consignment note for waste oil?
Yes. Waste oil is hazardous waste, and in England you must use a hazardous waste consignment note whenever hazardous waste is moved off your premises.
How long do I need to keep consignment notes?
Producers and holders must keep consignment notes, consignee returns and related documents for 3 years at the premises that produced or stored the waste.
Can I use a waste transfer note for waste oil?
No. Waste transfer notes are for non-hazardous waste. Waste oil, used oil filters and interceptor waste need a hazardous waste consignment note.
Who fills in the consignment note?
You (the producer or holder) complete Parts A and B, and usually Part D when you hand the waste over. The carrier completes Part C, and the receiving site completes Part E.
Do I need to register as a hazardous waste producer in England?
No. Premises registration ended in England on 1 April 2016, but you must still use consignment notes and keep your records.
Need waste oil collected? BL Oils is based in Doncaster and collects from businesses across all of Yorkshire, plus Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and Lincolnshire. Call or WhatsApp 07785 921493, email info@bloils.co.uk or ask for a free quote. Got an urgent problem? Our phone is answered 24/7: see emergency waste oil collection.
Sources and further reading
- GOV.UK: Hazardous waste consignment notes
- GOV.UK: Hazardous waste (producers and holders)
- GOV.UK: Hazardous waste consignment note guidance
- GOV.UK: Waste transfer notes
- legislation.gov.uk: Hazardous Waste (England and Wales) Regulations 2005
Checked against official guidance in October 2026. This guide is general information for businesses in England, not legal advice. Rules change, so check the linked guidance or ask the Environment Agency if you’re unsure.