What is an Asbestos Certificate?

an asbestos disposal certificate , otherwise known as a Hazardous Waste Consignment Note
The term actually refers to a Hazardous Waste Consignment Note (HWCN). This is the legal document which details the transfer of asbestos (or any other hazardous waste) from one party to another. 

The HWCN is a non-negotiable document and MUST be provided to you when a contractor removes your asbestos from your property. Any company who offers you an asbestos removal service without the ‘certificate’ is not legal. 


Did you know , you can be fined if your asbestos is illegally disposed of!
The Duty of Care Regulations apply to everyone , including private residents in domestic properties. There is even a specific regulation for this – Household Waste Duty of Care Regulations 2005. The regulations require domestic property occupiers to take all reasonable measures that are available to them in the circumstances , to make sure that they only transfer household waste produced on their property to an authorised person. 

When an individual fails to take all reasonable steps to ensure their waste has been transferred to an authorised person , fines can and will be issued. 
When weighing up the costs of the fine and the stress of bring subjected to investigation – it’s always worth carrying out the necessary checks first! 


Details contained within a Hazardous Waste Consignment Note (certificate) 

  • An individual consignment code : This is unique to your asbestos waste transfer transaction
  • Where the waste is being removed from – The name , address , contact details 
  • Where the waste is going to be dispose of – The name and address 
  • Who the waste producer is – The householder , contractor etc 
  • The process which is giving rise to the waste and SIC – eg ‘asbestos removal’
  • The exact details of the asbestos waste – This includes the proper name , a description of the waste , EWC code , hazardous properties , components , concentration , physical form , packing group , UN class and special handling requirements 
  • Who is carrying your waste – The waste carriers details and their waste carriers licence number 
  • The details of who has organised the removal – For example the individual from the property , the contractor or broker 
  • Confirmation from the disposal site – Waste details received , quantity , name , address , date , time of receipt , Environmental Permit Number. 

As you can see , there are a lot of details which need to be completed on the consignment note. The reason for this is because asbestos is a hazardous waste and a full audit trail needs to be kept of where it’s come from , who’s transported it and where it’s going to. 



If you require advice or guidance on asbestos disposal documentation , contact us direct on 01158 241 995