When transferring waste, it is really important to fill out waste transfer notes. This is a document which is used to document a clear trail from when the waste was produced to when it is disposed of. Transfer notes must be kept for up to two years as the environmental agency or local authority could ask for them at any time and if you have not filled out the appropriate documentation, it means you are breaking the law. In these busy and stressful times it can be easy to forget to fill out the form or to not complete it in the correct way but there are ways that you can make sure it gets done.
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Stock up on the amount of forms you think you will need
Depending on how much waste you think you will be transferring at any point, you should look ahead and be prepared. Even if you are transferring one lot of waste you should print out a copy of the form ahead of the task and fill it in as you go. You could even pin it to a noticeboard or keep it in your vehicle so you know not to forget. Alternatively, you can purchase pads of the transfer notes if you know you will be dealing with waste on a regular basis. You could even keep a pad in the car and in your home or office so you always have one handy, that way you have no excuse not to fill out the note!
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Use an electronic transfer note
The transfer notes have recently been modernised to include an electronic format which you can fill in on a computer. For easy transfer notes, you could download a copy onto a tablet or smart phone so that you can fill it in on the go and save it in an electronic file. This is good for people who do not like filling in forms the old fashioned way and it also means that you are actually minimising waste by not using paper. You can also then email it to anyone much easier should it be required.
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Understand the need for different notes for hazardous waste
A different kind of transfer note must be filled in for hazardous waste, it is more detailed and comprehensive form which needs to be filled out correctly. This is because these kinds of materials are much more dangerous and may need to be traced back more particularly. Therefore you need to be aware that you will need different forms for this be prepared for these instances. If you are unsure as to how these forms should be completed then you can get help for this. There are websites which will outline the guidelines and show you by sections how the form should be completed
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Use a preprinted stamp
In order to save time when completing the transfer notes, it is possible to buy stamps with your details printed on them so you can go through a bulk number of notes and prestamp them with this information to save time when you go to do this task. If it takes less time to complete them, it will seem like less of a drag.
Although filling in waste transfer notes may seem like a tiresome task, it must not be forgotten how important they really are. It is against the law to transfer waster without keeping a record of type of waste, where it has come from and where it went. By making sure you have a good supply of forms, you understand how to fill them out or even by using new technology to do it, you can be sure that you will never miss a single one.
Author bio- Alice Aires is an officer for an environmental agency and has recently carried out a survey among the waste management industry to determine how to create easy waste transfer notes so that people understand the importance of them.
