Is your waste
collector registered?
Anyone who removes, carries or transports waste in England must be registered with the Environment Agency. Verify a collector in seconds, free, no account needed.
Search the EA Waste Carrier Register
Enter the collector's registration number to check their status right now.
Enter the registered business name or part of it
The risks of using an
unregistered collector
Ignorance is no defence under UK waste law. Using an unregistered carrier puts you directly at risk.
You could be fined
Under the Environmental Protection Act 1990, you have a legal duty of care for your waste. If an unregistered collector fly-tips it, you can face an unlimited fine, even if you had no idea.
Criminal prosecution
Failing to check that your waste carrier is registered is a breach of your duty of care under Section 34 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990. Carrying waste without registration is an offence under the Control of Pollution (Amendment) Act 1989.
Fly-tipping on your doorstep
Rogue collectors often dump waste illegally, and it can end up traced back to you. Land owners and businesses have been made responsible for clean-up costs on land they don't even own.
Reputational damage
Being linked to illegal waste disposal can severely damage your business reputation. Clients, partners and local authorities take environmental compliance increasingly seriously.
are issued every year for waste duty of care breaches in England & Wales.
How to verify a
waste collector
Four simple steps to protect yourself every time you transfer waste to a third party.
Ask for their registration number
Any legitimate waste carrier must be able to give you their EA registration number. Upper-tier carriers have numbers starting with CBDU; lower-tier start with CBDL.
Search the register above
Enter the number in the search tool on this page. We check the Environment Agency's Waste Carrier Register in real time and show you the result instantly.
Check the details match
Confirm the organisation name and address matches who you're dealing with. Fraudsters sometimes use genuine numbers that belong to other businesses.
Issue a Waste Transfer Note
Once verified, always complete a Waste Transfer Note for every collection. It's a legal requirement and your paper trail if anything goes wrong.
Signs of a legitimate
waste collector
Registration is the minimum bar, but there are other signs a collector is operating properly and above board.
Legitimate carriers welcome scrutiny. If someone is reluctant to share their registration number, certificate or business details, treat that as a red flag and find someone else.
Upper-tier vs lower-tier registration
Not all registrations are the same. Understanding the difference helps you know what your collector is actually authorised to do.
Upper-tier registration
Starts with CBDU
- Required for businesses that carry waste as part of their normal activities
- Applies to skip hire companies, waste contractors and most commercial carriers
- Must renew registration every 3 years
- Carries a registration fee payable to the EA
Lower-tier registration
Starts with CBDL
- For businesses that only carry their own waste in the course of their work
- For example, a builder who occasionally takes rubble to a tip
- Registration does not expire once granted
- Free to register, but still a legal requirement
Important: A lower-tier carrier should only be carrying their own waste. If a collector claiming to be lower-tier is removing waste from your site, that's a red flag, they should hold upper-tier registration.
Once you've verified your collector, document the transfer.
Every waste transfer requires a signed Waste Transfer Note. QWTN makes it free and takes under two minutes. No account required for a single note.