Waste glossary
Plain-English meanings for the words that turn up on waste paperwork, council pages and Environment Agency guidance.
20 03 07
- The List of Waste code for bulky waste, used for domestic seating containing POPs. The transfer note should describe it as 'domestic seating waste containing POPs'. It must be kept separate from other waste and incinerated, not landfilled.
Bulky waste collection
- A council service that collects large household items from outside your home. In Leeds it's called the unwanted items collection, and it's limited to private residents, a set number of items and a list of accepted goods.
CBDU
- The prefix on a waste carrier registration number in England, followed by a set of numbers. If someone gives you a number starting CBDU, you can look it up on the Environment Agency public register.
Clearance
- Removing everything unwanted from a property or part of one, such as a house, garage, loft or office. It's often done after a move, a bereavement or the end of a tenancy, and usually involves sorting items for reuse first.
Commercial waste
- Waste from a business, trade or letting. It includes a landlord or letting agent clearing a property after the tenants have left. It needs a waste transfer note and can't go to council tips.
Consignment note
- The document that has to go with every movement of hazardous waste, such as fridges from a business. Copies are kept for three years. Householders don't need one for their own domestic hazardous waste, except asbestos.
Digital waste tracking
- A government system for recording waste movements online. Since 01/10/2026 it has been mandatory in England for permitted or licensed sites that receive waste. Transfer notes continue alongside it, and no date has yet been set for carriers.
Duty of care
- The legal duty on anyone who produces or handles waste to make sure it's dealt with properly. For householders, it means giving your waste only to an authorised person and taking reasonable steps to check they are.
Environment Agency public register
- The online register where you can search waste carriers, brokers and dealers by registration number, business name or postcode. It shows the registration tier and expiry date. You can also phone the Environment Agency on 03708 506 506.
Fixed penalty notice
- A fine issued instead of going to court. For fly-tipping in England, councils can set it between £150 and £5,000 from 01/09/2026. Paying it means no prosecution for that offence.
Fly-tipping
- Illegally dumping waste on land without a permit, from a single bag on a verge to a lorry load in a field. It's a criminal offence that can lead to an unlimited fine or up to five years in prison.
Hazardous waste
- Waste with properties that can harm people or the environment, such as chemicals, asbestos, oils, some batteries and all waste fridges and freezers. It needs specific handling, paperwork and a facility permitted to accept it.
Household waste
- Waste produced by a household in the ordinary running of the home. The occupier has a duty of care to pass it only to an authorised carrier, but doesn't need to produce a waste transfer note for it.
Householder duty of care fixed penalty
- A fine a council can issue when a householder's waste is fly-tipped after being handed to an unauthorised person. The default is £200, and councils in England can set it between £150 and £600.
HWRC
- Household waste recycling centre, usually called the tip. Leeds has eight, open to Leeds residents only, arriving by car or bike. Vans and trailers need a permit. Trade and landlord waste are not allowed.
Inert waste
- Waste that doesn't break down or react chemically, such as clean brick, concrete, stone and soil. It's heavy, and it's often used as fill once it's been sorted and screened.
List of Waste code
- A six-digit code describing a type of waste, also called an EWC (European Waste Catalogue) code. It goes on transfer and consignment notes. An asterisk after the code means the waste is hazardous.
Man and van
- A small removal or collection service using one van and one or two people. For waste work, the van operator must still hold an upper tier waste carrier registration. A van alone doesn't make them legal.
Plasterboard
- Wall and ceiling board made from gypsum. When it's mixed with other waste in landfill it can give off hydrogen sulphide gas, so it has to be kept separate from general and inert waste and recycled or disposed of on its own.
POPs
- Persistent organic pollutants: long-lasting chemicals that build up in the environment and in people. Some were used as flame retardants in upholstered furniture, which is why old sofas and armchairs now have their own disposal rules.
Reuse
- Using an item again for its original purpose instead of treating it as waste. A sound wardrobe going to a charity shop is reuse. Upholstered seating can only be reused if it meets strict conditions, including carrying fire safety labels.
SIC code
- Standard Industrial Classification code: a five-digit number describing what a business does. A waste transfer note must include the SIC code of the business handing the waste over.
Skip permit
- Permission from the council to place a skip on the road or pavement. It's usually arranged by the skip hire firm. A skip on your own drive doesn't normally need one.
Upholstered seating
- Any seat with foam, fabric or leather padding: sofas, armchairs, sofa beds, recliners, footstools, padded dining and office chairs, futons, beanbags and cushions 60cm x 60cm or larger. In England it's handled under the POPs rules. Mattresses are not included.
Upper tier
- The level of waste carrier registration that allows a business to transport other people's waste. It has to be renewed every three years. A rubbish removal or clearance firm needs upper tier registration.
Waste carrier registration
- The registration a business needs from the Environment Agency (in England) to transport waste. Anyone you pay to take your rubbish away must hold one. Without it, they're operating illegally and you could be liable if the waste is dumped.
Waste hierarchy
- The legal order of priority for dealing with waste: prevent it, reuse it, recycle it, recover energy from it, and only then dispose of it. Businesses must confirm on transfer notes that they've applied it.
Waste transfer note
- A document recording waste passing from one person to another: what it is, how much, its List of Waste code, and who handed it over and received it. Required for commercial waste, and both parties keep it for two years.
Waste transfer station
- A licensed site where collected waste is unloaded, sorted and bulked up before going on for recycling, treatment or disposal. Unlike an HWRC, it accepts commercial waste and charges for it.
WEEE
- Waste electrical and electronic equipment: anything with a plug, battery or cable, from a kettle to a washing machine. It's collected separately from general waste so metals can be recovered and harmful parts dealt with properly.