The short answer
After we collect it, your waste oil is carried by a registered waste carrier to a site that’s permitted to accept it. A consignment note goes with it the whole way. At the receiving site the waste is checked and recorded, then treated so it can be recovered or reused. The receiving site then reports what it received, both to the Environment Agency and back to you.
1. It leaves your site with a consignment note
Waste oil is hazardous waste, so it can’t be moved without a hazardous waste consignment note. Before the tanker leaves, the note records what the waste is, how much there is, its waste code, who produced it and where it’s going. You sign it as the business handing the waste over, and the carrier signs to say they’ve taken it. See consignment notes explained.
2. It’s carried by a registered carrier
Only a registered waste carrier should transport your waste. BL Oils is an Environment Agency upper-tier waste carrier and dealer, registration CBDU69834, which you can check on the Environment Agency’s public register. GOV.UK says the consignment note must stay with hazardous waste until it reaches its final destination.
3. It’s checked in at a permitted site
The business that receives the waste is called the consignee, and it must be authorised to accept that type of waste. When the load arrives, the site checks it against the description, records how much has arrived, and fills in its own part of the consignment note (Part E).
4. It’s treated so it can be used again
Used oil isn’t worn out. It’s mostly dirty, with water, soot, metal particles and broken-down additives mixed in. At a treatment site those are separated out so the oil can be recovered or reused rather than thrown away. Exactly what happens depends on the site and the type of oil. For more on how oil is recovered, see waste oil recycling.
UK waste law follows the waste hierarchy: prevent waste first, then reuse, then recycle, then other recovery, with disposal as the last resort. Sending waste oil to a permitted site keeps it inside that system and out of drains and rivers.
5. The paperwork comes back to you
Every quarter, the consignee must send a consignee return to the Environment Agency and a separate one to you, the waste producer. It reports the waste it received from you and how it was dealt with. GOV.UK says you should ask for consignee returns in writing if you don’t get them, and keep them with your waste records.
A new digital waste tracking system is also being introduced, starting with the sites that receive waste. See digital waste tracking.
Why this matters to you
As the business that produced the waste, you have a duty of care. You must make sure your waste goes to someone authorised to take it, and keep records that show it did. Your consignment notes and consignee returns are that proof. GOV.UK says to keep them for 3 years. See is waste oil hazardous waste?
How you can help
- Keep oil clean: don’t mix in water, antifreeze, brake fluid, solvents or fuel. Mixed loads are harder to treat.
- Keep it covered: rainwater in drums and tanks makes the oil wetter and harder to deal with.
- Drain and separate filters: keep used oil filters in their own lidded container (see how to dispose of oil filters).
- File your paperwork: keep each consignment note and consignee return together.
We don’t collect cooking oil. Used cooking oil goes through a separate route, so please use a specialist cooking oil collector.
Frequently asked questions
Where does my waste oil go after collection?
To a site that’s authorised to accept it. The consignment note records where the waste is going, and the receiving site fills in its own part of the note when the load arrives.
How do I know my oil got there?
The receiving site (the consignee) must send you a consignee return every quarter reporting the waste it received from you. If you don’t get one, ask for it in writing.
Is waste oil recycled?
Used oil is treated so it can be recovered or reused. Exactly how depends on the site and the type of oil. See our waste oil recycling page for more.
How long do I need to keep the paperwork?
GOV.UK says producers must keep consignment notes and consignee returns for 3 years.
Does BL Oils treat the oil itself?
No. We’re a licensed waste carrier and dealer. We collect your oil and take it to a permitted facility, where it’s treated.
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. See also how a waste oil collection works.
Sources and further reading
- GOV.UK: Hazardous waste consignment notes
- GOV.UK: Hazardous waste consignee returns
- GOV.UK: Hazardous waste (producers and holders)
- GOV.UK: Waste duty of care code of practice
- Environment Agency: public register of waste carriers, brokers and dealers
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.