Household drop-offs and loads with no carrier registration: what to report to Defra
In short: when a householder brings their own household waste to a private permitted site, such as a transfer station or skip yard, you report the load to Defra like any other. They have no carrier registration number, so you give Defra the reason instead. Defra has four reasons for a carrier with no number. Only residents' household waste at a council's household waste recycling centre (HWRC) isn't reported.
Which household loads you report
If you are licensed or permitted to receive controlled waste, you enter details of every load you receive. GOV.UK names two exceptions: you don't use the service if you operate an HWRC in Wales, or receive household waste from residents at an HWRC in England.
The regulations draw the same line. England's exception covers a place provided under arrangements made by a waste disposal authority, where the waste is left by a resident, and Wales's covers the same kind of council-arranged place. Neither makes an exception for a privately run site, so a householder's car or van load at your transfer station or skip yard is reported like any other.
The householder doesn't report anything themselves. Defra's response to its consultation said householders will not be required to record anything about waste they produce and move themselves. Their duty is to make sure they only give their waste to an authorised person, and the duty of care code says that when they take it to a private site they should check it has a permit or exemption.
Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own timetable: see our guide to digital waste tracking in Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Defra's four reasons for no registration number
Where a load's carrier has no registration number, Defra's API requires a reason, and Defra's spreadsheet template offers the same four in its drop-down list. In Defra's own words:
| Reason | What Defra says it's for | Why no registration is needed |
|---|---|---|
| HOUSEHOLD | A householder transporting their own waste, not for profit | Registration is needed to carry waste in the course of a business or with a view to profit |
| ONE_OFF | One-off or infrequent transport, by a carrier that doesn't normally and regularly transport controlled waste | An exemption for certain carriers who don't normally and regularly carry waste (see below) |
| MARINE | Waste moved by vessel under a marine licence or exemption | An exemption for marine operations |
| ON_SITE | A move within the same premises, such as between two permits on one site | Moving waste between places within the same premises isn't carrying it |
Use ONE_OFF with care. The exemption isn't for anyone who carries waste now and then: it only covers a "specified person", such as a charity or voluntary organisation, or a business that only carries waste it produced itself (not construction or demolition waste). Natural Resources Wales puts it plainly: if your usual business practice is to carry waste, you must register, even if you do it infrequently. The duty of care code counts builders and landscape gardeners carrying their own waste as waste carriers. If in doubt, ask for their registration.
Who counts as a householder
- A householder with their own household waste is the case HOUSEHOLD is for.
- A tradesperson's waste isn't household waste. If a householder hires a tradesperson, any waste they produce is business waste, and a tradesperson bringing it in needs a registration.
- A house clearance after the occupier has left, such as a landlord or letting agent clearing student housing, isn't household waste either.
- In Wales, NRW says a householder taking their own or other people's waste, without profit, to a local authority site doesn't need to register.
If you suspect whoever brings a load has broken their duty of care, the code says don't accept the waste, and report your suspicions to the EA or NRW.
What to record for a household load
The waste itself is recorded as for any load: its codes, weights and what happens to it. Our guide to what you report for each load has the full list. For whoever brought it:
- England: the name of the person who transported the waste, their address, telephone and email if available, the reason they have no carrier registration number, and the vehicle registration if it came by road.
- Wales: the transporter's address, email and telephone number, with no "if available", and the reason they have no registration number.
A householder doesn't need a waste transfer note: the transfer note requirement doesn't apply to a householder dealing with their household waste. Nor is a hazardous waste consignment note needed when domestic hazardous waste, other than asbestos, is removed from a household. For hazardous waste with no consignment code, Defra asks for a reason; its three are a non-hazardous waste transfer, no documentation provided with the waste, and a household waste recycling centre receipt.
Common questions
Do I report a householder's drop-off to Defra?
Yes, at a privately run permitted site such as a transfer station or skip yard. GOV.UK only excludes household waste from residents at an HWRC in England, and HWRCs in Wales.
What do I put instead of a carrier registration number?
The reason there isn't one. Defra's four are HOUSEHOLD, ONE_OFF, MARINE and ON_SITE, and a reason is required whenever the number is left blank.
Can a tradesperson use the household reason?
No. Waste a tradesperson produces is business waste, and a business that carries waste usually needs to register, even if it's only its own waste.
Does a householder need a waste transfer note?
No. The transfer note requirement doesn't apply to a householder dealing with their household waste.
Check the official guidance
This guide is based on these pages. Rules change, so check them for the latest position.
- Digital waste tracking: check if you need to report the waste you receive (GOV.UK / Defra)
- The Digital Waste Tracking (England) Regulations 2026: regulation 4 and schedule 1 (legislation.gov.uk)
- The Welsh regulations (WSI 2026/105), regulation 4 and schedule 1 (legislation.gov.uk)
- Receipt API specification (Defra, GitHub)
- Receipt of waste template spreadsheet (Defra)
- Implementation of mandatory digital waste tracking: government response (GOV.UK / Defra)
- Control of Pollution (Amendment) Act 1989, section 1 (legislation.gov.uk)
- The Waste (England and Wales) Regulations 2011, regulation 24 and regulation 26 (legislation.gov.uk)
- Environmental Protection Act 1990, section 34 (legislation.gov.uk)
- Waste duty of care: code of practice (GOV.UK / Defra)
- Dispose of household waste (GOV.UK)
- Deciding if you are a waste carrier, broker or dealer (NRW)
How Tippa helps
Household drop-offs are free in Tippa, and every load, household or not, is reported to Defra for you.
- Pick a Household Customer as the carrier on a receipt, and the load goes to Defra with the reason HOUSEHOLD, along with the householder's name and whatever contact details you hold.
- It's only for a householder's own household waste, so Tippa warns (never stops you) when a householder's name reads like a business, or their load has waste outside the household chapter of the List of Waste.
- A carrier the law lets carry waste unregistered can be saved with the reason instead of a number: one-off or marine. Everyone else is checked on the EA, NRW, SEPA and DAERA registers when you save, and again every night.
- Moving a load between two of your site's permits is one form, with no carrier to fill in, and it's reported to Defra as a move within the same site.
- Reporting every load to Defra is free, with no cap, on every plan. Defra's own £26 a year is separate.
This guide is general information about UK waste rules, not legal or regulatory advice. You remain responsible for meeting the duties that apply to your business; check the official guidance above and take professional advice where you need it.