If you are paying someone to take away furniture, rubbish or the contents of a property, you can check that they are a registered waste carrier in about a minute — for free. Search the Environment Agency's public register by business name or registration number, confirm the record matches the trader, and check they hold a current upper tier registration. This guide shows you exactly how, and why it protects you as a householder, not just the trader.
The 60-second version
- Ask the trader for their waste carrier registration number. Environment Agency registration numbers begin with CB; the prefix alone does not prove the tier.
- Search it on the free Environment Agency public register, or call 03708 506 506.
- Confirm the name matches, the tier is upper tier, and the registration has not expired.
- No match, no number, or a mismatch? Do not let them remove anything until it is resolved.
Why a registration check protects you
When you get rid of household waste from your own home, you have a household duty of care under section 34(2A) of the Environmental Protection Act 1990. In plain terms, you must take all reasonable steps to make sure your waste only goes to an authorised person.
The reason this matters is simple. If your old sofa or clearance waste is later fly-tipped down a country lane and investigators trace it back to your address, you may be asked to show that you handed it to a registered carrier. If you cannot, the duty of care has not been met, and you could face a fixed penalty notice or, in more serious cases, prosecution and a fine. Checking the register is the single easiest way to protect yourself.
Good to know
Householders do not need a formal waste transfer note for their own household waste — that paperwork requirement applies to businesses. It is still sensible to keep a simple record of who took the waste and when. See records worth keeping below.
What a waste carrier registration is
A waste carrier registration is the Environment Agency’s way of recording who is allowed to transport waste in England. Anyone who carries waste as part of a business generally has to register, and a business that carries waste for other people must hold an upper tier registration.
Registration is a legal minimum, not a quality award. It does not, by itself, prove that a company is careful, insured or good at its job. What it does prove is that the business is known to the regulator and can be held to account — and that is the baseline you give up entirely if you use an unregistered trader.
How to check, step by step
Checking takes about a minute and costs nothing.
- Get the registration number. Ask the trader for their waste carrier registration number. It should begin with CB, but use the register result—not the prefix—to confirm the tier and status.
- Open the public register. Go to the Environment Agency’s register of waste carriers, brokers and dealers.
- Search. You can search by business name, registration number, or postcode. Searching the number is the most precise.
- Match the details. Confirm the name on the record matches the business you are dealing with, the tier is upper tier, and the registration is current rather than expired.
- Prefer the phone? Call instead. You can check with the Environment Agency on 03708 506 506, Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm.
Tip
Verify the number against the register yourself rather than relying on a printed certificate. Certificates can be genuine — but they can also be out of date or belong to a different business.
How to read a register entry
When you open a record, these are the details worth checking against the trader in front of you.
| On the record | What to confirm |
|---|---|
| Business / registrant name | Matches the company or person you are actually paying. |
| Registration number | Begins with CB and matches the number you were given. Confirm the tier separately on the record. |
| Tier | Shows upper tier for anyone carrying your waste. |
| Registration type | Carrier, broker or dealer — a firm collecting your waste should be a carrier. |
| Status / expiry | Current and not expired. Registrations run for a fixed period and must be renewed. |
Upper tier or lower tier: what to look for
There are two tiers of registration, and the difference matters when you are hiring someone to take your waste away.
| Upper tier | Lower tier | |
|---|---|---|
| Covers | Carrying other people's waste as a business, and carrying construction or demolition waste. | Mainly carrying a business’s own non-construction waste; plus specified organisations and waste types. |
| Who needs it | House clearance firms, rubbish removal, skip hire and most waste businesses. | Examples include qualifying charities or voluntary organisations and businesses moving only waste they produced, subject to the lower-tier rules. |
| Cost | There is a fee, renewable for a fixed period. | Free to register. |
| Hiring a clearance company? | This is what you should see. | Not enough on its own for someone taking your waste. |
So, for a house clearance or rubbish removal service, you are specifically looking for a current upper tier registration.
Warning signs of an unregistered carrier
Most traders are legitimate. A few are not. Treat these as reasons to pause and check before anything leaves your property:
- They cannot give you a registration number, or say they “don’t need one”.
- The name or details on the register do not match the business.
- The registration has expired, or is lower tier only.
- The price is cash-only with no receipt, quotation or business paperwork.
- There is no company name, no signage on the vehicle, and no traceable contact details.
- They pressure you to decide immediately or discourage you from checking.
An unusually cheap quote can be a sign that waste will be dumped rather than disposed of properly — which can leave the cost, and the liability, with you.
What to do if something looks wrong
If you have already handed over waste and suspect it has been dumped, or you witness illegal dumping, you can report it.
- Fly-tipping on public land: report it to your local council through gov.uk/report-flytipping. The council deals with most fly-tipping.
- Large-scale dumping, or hazardous waste such as asbestos or chemicals, or any risk to people or the environment: call the Environment Agency incident hotline on 0800 80 70 60 (24 hours).
- Prefer to stay anonymous: you can report waste crime to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 (24 hours).
Keep any details you have — the trader’s name, phone number, vehicle registration, and the date — as they help an investigation.
What is changing in 2026 and 2027
The way waste carriers are registered and tracked is being reformed, so the terminology on this page will change over the next couple of years. As of this guide’s review date (August 2026), the public register described above is still the way to check.
Two changes are worth knowing about:
- Digital waste tracking. The public beta opened on 28 April 2026. Reporting is due to become mandatory first for permitted waste receiving sites, from October 2026 in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and January 2027 in Scotland. The current timetable makes the service mandatory for waste collectors, including carriers, from October 2027.
- Carrier registration reform. The government has announced that carrier, broker and dealer registrations will move to an environmental-permit model from 2027. Transition and application dates may change, so follow the current GOV.UK instructions rather than assuming an existing registration has already become a permit.
The practical advice does not change: confirm the business is authorised before you hand over waste, and use the current gov.uk waste guidance if the check method or wording has moved on since this review date.
Checking carriers elsewhere in the UK
The Environment Agency register covers England. iTrade works across Norfolk and nearby Suffolk border areas, so the England register is the relevant one for local clearances. If you are arranging a clearance elsewhere, the equivalent bodies are:
| Nation | Regulator |
|---|---|
| England | Environment Agency — public register, or 03708 506 506 |
| Wales | Natural Resources Wales — 0300 065 3000 |
| Scotland | Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) |
| Northern Ireland | Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA) |
Records worth keeping as a householder
You do not need formal paperwork, but a few notes make it easy to show you met your duty of care if you are ever asked.
Before you hand over any waste, tick these off:
Frequently asked questions
Is checking the register free?
Searching the Environment Agency public register online is free. If you call 03708 506 506, check your provider’s call charges.
What does a waste carrier registration number look like?
Environment Agency registration numbers begin with CB. Do not infer the tier from the prefix alone; open the record and confirm that it says upper tier and is current.
Do I need a waste transfer note as a householder?
No. Waste transfer notes are a business requirement. As a householder you should still keep an informal record of who took your waste and when.
Can I really be fined if my waste is fly-tipped?
Potentially, yes. If dumped waste is traced back to you and you cannot show you passed it to an authorised carrier, you may receive a fixed penalty notice or, in serious cases, face prosecution under your household duty of care.
Is a "man with a van" allowed to take my rubbish?
Only if they hold a current upper tier registration. Many do — but some do not, so always ask for the number and check it.
Does registration guarantee my waste is disposed of properly?
No. Registration is a legal minimum, not a quality guarantee. But using an unregistered carrier removes even that baseline of accountability.
How often should I re-check a carrier I use regularly?
Registrations expire and must be renewed, so an occasional re-check is wise — especially as the permit reforms begin from 2027.
Key takeaways
- Checking is free and takes about a minute on the Environment Agency public register.
- A clearance or rubbish removal company needs a current upper tier registration; confirm the tier on the record rather than relying on the number format.
- You have a legal household duty of care — using an unregistered carrier can leave you liable if the waste is dumped.
- You do not need a waste transfer note, but keep a note of who took your waste.
- Digital reporting starts with receiving sites in 2026 and is scheduled to become mandatory for waste collectors in October 2027; carrier permit reforms also begin from 2027.
When you arrange a clearance with iTrade, you can verify our Environment Agency registration on the waste carrier licence page. It includes registration CBDU521652 and a direct link to the current public-register entry. Check the official record again before hiring. If you have items to clear now, request a quote or read about general rubbish removal and disposal.
Sources
- Waste duty of care: code of practice — GOV.UK
- Register of waste carriers, brokers and dealers — Environment Agency
- Access the public register for environmental information — GOV.UK
- Reporting fly-tipping, large-scale dumping or other waste crimes — GOV.UK
- Reforming the waste carrier, broker and dealer system — GOV.UK
- Digital waste tracking service — GOV.UK