Hazardous waste consignment notes (Northern Ireland): NIEA codes and 2005 Regulations
How to move hazardous waste in Northern Ireland under the Hazardous Waste Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2005, including the six-copy consignment note, NIEA codes and fees, pre-notification, carrier rounds, records and the £200 fixed penalty.
In Northern Ireland, hazardous waste that is removed from the premises where it is held can only travel under a consignment note in the form set out in Schedule 4 of the Hazardous Waste Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2005 (SR 2005/300). Each consignment has a unique code issued by the Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA). This applies to anyone who produces, holds, collects, carries or receives hazardous waste, including garages, workshops and vehicle dismantlers handling waste oil, oil filters, brake fluid and most waste vehicle batteries.
The rules are close to those in England, but the agency, the form and the codes are different, and Northern Ireland does not follow the Scottish special waste system. Waste that leaves Northern Ireland for Great Britain, or arrives from there, also has to meet the receiving regulator's rules.
- NIEA consignment code fee
- £24 for a consignment or round, or £10 where it consists entirely of lead acid batteries. Some codes are free, for example returns of off-specification products to the supplier, subsequent carrier rounds that meet the regulation 36(2) conditions, and waste removed from ships in a harbour (regulation 36)
- Copies of the note
- Six copies. One goes to NIEA, one to the producer or holder if that is not the consignor, one is kept by the consignor, and three travel with the carrier to the consignee (regulation 23)
- Parts of the note
- The producer, holder or person acting for them completes Parts A and B, the carrier completes Part C, the consignor completes Part D and the consignee completes Part E. Parts A and B must include the NIEA code, the six-digit List of Wastes code and the producer's postcode
- Pre-notification to NIEA
- NetRegs guidance says to pre-notify NIEA at least 72 hours (3 working days) and not more than one month before hazardous waste leaves your site, using the top white sheet of the consignment note
- No pre-notification needed for
- Second and later consignments in a succession of identical loads within one year, off-specification products returned to the supplier or manufacturer, movements between group companies for storage where the consignee holds a permit, waste removed from ships in a harbour, and consignments made up entirely of lead acid batteries (regulation 24). A consignment note is still required
- Consignee's duty
- Complete Part E, keep one copy, return one to the carrier and send one to NIEA forthwith (regulation 23(4))
- Carrier rounds
- A carrier collecting from several consignors in Northern Ireland uses one consignment note with a schedule (Schedule 6) for the round, completed within 24 hours. Consignors and premises that are not named on the note must be notified to NIEA in writing at least 72 hours before the first removal (regulation 27)
- Records
- Producers, consignors, carriers and consignees keep a register of consignment notes for at least three years from the date the waste first left the premises (regulation 37)
- Fixed penalty
- £200 offered by NIEA, payable within 28 days, for failing to follow the consignment note procedure (regulation 23), the schedule of carriers procedure (regulation 26) or the carrier round procedure (regulation 27)
- Penalty on conviction
- On summary conviction, a fine not exceeding the statutory maximum. On indictment, a fine or up to two years in prison, or both (regulation 45)
What you must do
- Classify the waste using the six-digit List of Wastes code marked hazardous, before you arrange collection.
- Get a code from NIEA for each consignment or carrier round, and pay the fee. You can buy consignment notes and codes from NIEA and send pre-notifications to hazwaste@daera-ni.gov.uk (NIEA prefers email to fax).
- Prepare six copies of the note. Complete Parts A and B on every copy, and make sure one copy goes to NIEA before the waste leaves. NetRegs guidance says the note also carries a declaration that you took all practicable steps to reuse or recycle the waste before choosing to dispose of it.
- Use a registered carrier. Hazardous waste must be transported by an authorised carrier. You can check the NIEA register of registered waste carriers.
- Package and label the waste for carriage under the international dangerous goods standards (ADR for road, RID for rail, IMDG for sea) before it is collected (regulation 21).
- Where more than one carrier is involved, prepare a schedule of carriers so that every carrier signs as it takes over the waste (regulation 26).
- If a consignee does not accept a consignment, regulations 31 and 32 set out what happens next, including when a new consignment note is needed. Check them before you re-route the load.
- Keep your copies in your register for at least three years, and produce them to NIEA or the emergency services when asked.
Cross-border movements
For hazardous waste moving between Northern Ireland and Great Britain, regulation 35 (mutual recognition of consignment notes) and Schedule 7 (cross-border movement) apply alongside the destination regulator's rules. Check with NIEA before you ship. See also the Scottish special waste consignment entry for how Scotland's separate system works.