Chapter 10 — Questions, Checklists and Safeguards

Before booking a clearance company, ask about their waste carrier registration number, where to verify it, which transfer station or disposal facility they use, how often they tip there, whether you will receive the appropriate Waste Transfer Note, whether they have public liability insurance, what proportion of typical loads is recycled or reused, and how they handle hazardous items such as fridges, paint and asbestos.

If the answers are vague, keep looking.

The ten golden rules: check the carrier, confirm the disposal or transfer facility, get more than one quote, be suspicious of unusually cheap prices, insist on the appropriate paperwork, check insurance, look for clear business identification, check genuine reviews, ask about recycling and reuse, and keep a receipt and payment record.

A copy-and-paste email template you can send to any company: before confirming the booking, request their waste carrier registration number so you can verify it, the transfer station or disposal facility they use, proof of appropriate public liability insurance, and confirmation that you will receive the appropriate Waste Transfer Note.

As an additional precaution, if you have carried out your checks but still want an extra record connecting the waste to the legitimate collection, place two or three short letters inside suitable bags or boxes within the load. Each letter can state the address from which the waste originated, the clearance company's name, its waste carrier registration number, the date of collection, and that you checked the company's credentials.

If the waste is subsequently discovered dumped, such information may help investigators identify where it came from and who collected it.

It is not a substitute for proper due diligence, but it provides another layer of documentation.

Keep a simple due-diligence log with your receipts: date, company, licence number, transfer station, and notes.

Depending on the circumstances, a Waste Transfer Note should cover your name and address, the date and time, a description of the waste, the SIC code where applicable, the carrier name and registration details, the receiving site's name and address, and required signatures or declarations.

Keep the document with your other records.