Start here Core concepts Claim stamps Complete a WTN Sign off Paper WTNs Configure User journeys All features Glossary FAQ
User guide · getting started

Everything you need to run waste transfers on Wastestamp.

Wastestamp turns a physical QR stamp into a tamper-evident, digital waste transfer note with a full chain of custody. This guide walks you through every workflow — completing a WTN, claiming stamps, configuring the platform — and gives a clear journey for each type of user.

Start here

Which one are you?

Wastestamp connects the whole waste chain. Jump straight to your journey — or read the concepts and workflows below first.

Core concepts

Three things to understand first

The stamp

A physical, peel-off QR label with four windows — one for each party plus a spare. Possession of a stamp is access: you buy stamps in a pack, claim the pack to your organisation, then apply one stamp per transfer.

The WTN

A Waste Transfer Note is the legal duty-of-care record for a movement of waste — what it is (EWC code), how much, who moved it and where it went. Wastestamp makes it digital and evidenced.

Chain of custody

Each party scans the same stamp at their step and signs. The result is a single record every party has verified — not three separate pieces of paper that never reconcile.

How a transfer flows
P
Producer
Creates the WTN & applies the stamp
C
Carrier
Scans & signs at pickup
D
Destination
Scans & confirms receipt
Evidenced
One signed record for all
Anatomy of a stamp
Wastestamp
WS-4NU9-FMZY-8ABG
PRODUCER
CARRIER
DESTINATION
SPARE
1
One code, four windows

All four QR windows carry the same transfer code. Each party peels their own copy for their records.

2
Human-readable reference

The WS-… code identifies the transfer and can be typed if a camera can't scan.

3
Claim card + QA markers

Every pack has a claim card (registers the pack) with three QA markers that prove the pack wasn't tampered with in transit.

4
Native vs paper

A stamped transfer is evidenced. You can also transcribe legacy paper WTNs into your register — clearly marked as self-asserted, not evidenced.

Workflow

How to claim your stamps

Stamps arrive as a physical pack. Claiming registers the pack to your organisation and activates every stamp in it.

1

Receive your pack

Each pack contains a claim card and a set of numbered transfer stamps. Keep the claim card — it's the key to the pack.

2

Open the app and go to Claim / Stamps

Log in at app.wastestamp.co.uk and open Claim stamps.

3

Scan the claim card

Scan the claim card's QR (or type its WS-… code). This registers the whole pack to your organisation in one step.

4

Your stamps are live

Every stamp in the pack is now active inventory, ready to apply to a transfer. You'll see the pack and its remaining stamps under Stamps.

Tip
Scan the three QA markers on the claim card when the pack arrives. They confirm the pack reached you sealed and untampered.
Workflow · the core task

How to complete a waste transfer note

This is the heart of Wastestamp: a stamped, digitally-signed WTN with a verified chain of custody. The producer starts it; the carrier and destination complete it by scanning.

1

Start a new transfer Producer

In the app, choose New transfer. This opens a blank WTN.

2

Describe the waste Producer

Enter the waste description and its EWC code (List of Waste), the estimated quantity, whether it's hazardous, and the disposal/recovery (D/R) code. Add the collection site (origin).

3

Choose carrier & destination Producer

Pick the licensed carrier collecting the waste and the destination receiving it, from your directories. (Add them first under Configure if they're new.)

4

Apply a stamp Producer

Scan or select one of your active stamps. This locks that stamp to this transfer — it's one-way, so the code can't be reused.

5

Carrier signs at pickup Carrier

When collecting, the carrier scans the stamp's QR with any phone (no app needed), checks the waste and signs. That's custody step two.

6

Destination confirms receipt Destination

On delivery, the destination scans the same stamp, confirms what arrived and records the weighbridge actual quantity.

7

Evidenced record

The WTN is now complete — signed by every party, with the full custody chain. Find it in your Register, export it as a PDF, and (for hazardous loads) generate the consignment note.

Note
Weighbridge actual quantities update the record after the estimate — so your register reflects what was really moved, not just what was booked.
Workflow · carriers & destinations

How to sign off a transfer

Signing off needs no app and no account — just a phone camera. This is how carriers sign at pickup and destinations confirm receipt.

1

Scan the stamp

Point any phone camera at the stamp's QR. It opens the transfer at t.wastestamp.co.uk — no login.

2

Check the details

Review the waste type, quantity and the other parties so you're signing for the right load.

3

Confirm your role & sign

Choose whether you're signing as the carrier at pickup or the destination at receipt, add your name, and sign. Destinations enter the weighbridge figure here.

4

Done

Your sign-off is recorded on the shared WTN instantly. If you have an account, the transfer also appears in your own list.

Tip
Weak signal on site? Sign-offs queue on the phone and sync automatically once you're back in coverage — nothing is lost.
Workflow · going digital gradually

Recording a paper WTN

Still receiving paper notes from carriers who haven't switched? Photograph them and Wastestamp reads the details, so your register becomes complete without re-issuing anyone's WTN.

Three ways to capture

Site QR poster — anyone on site scans it and submits a photo. An unused stamp — scan one you haven't applied yet. Desk upload — drop photos or a scan in from the office.

OCR reads it

The photo is read automatically, extracting the carrier, destination, EWC code, quantity, date and reference into a draft.

Review & confirm

Check the extracted fields, correct anything, match the carrier/destination to your directory, and confirm. It joins your register as an external record.

Note
Paper (external) records are clearly marked as transcribed, not evidenced — they keep your duty-of-care register complete but are never counted as verified. When the carrier joins Wastestamp, those transfers become native and evidenced.
Workflow · admin

Configuring the platform

A few minutes of set-up makes every transfer faster and unlocks sharing across your supply chain. Admin users do this once, then maintain it as you grow.

1

Set up your organisation

Under My Organisation, add your details, registration numbers, logo and brand colour — these appear on your exported WTNs.

2

Build your directories

Add the carriers, destinations, collection origins/sites and producers you work with, so they're one tap away when creating a transfer.

3

Invite your partners

From My Network, invite your carriers and destinations to join. Once they accept, transfers are shared and they can sign natively instead of on paper.

4

Share with sponsors

Give a sponsor (client, utility or council) visibility of the transfers you tag with them — they only ever see transfers where they're named.

5

Optional: DEFRA & API

Connect Digital Waste Tracking credentials if you submit to DEFRA, and generate an API key if you want to sync origins or transfers from your own systems.

User journeys

The full journey for each user

Same platform, four different paths. Here's what a typical journey looks like end to end.

Producer

1 · Register & verify

Create your organisation account and verify your email.

2 · Configure

Set up your company, then add carriers, destinations and sites.

3 · Claim a pack

Register a stamp pack to your organisation.

4 · Create & complete WTNs

Book transfers, apply stamps, and get parties to sign.

5 · Track & report

Watch your Register fill up; use the Dashboard for ESG, compliance and cost.

6 · Grow your network

Invite the carriers you send the most paper to; backfill legacy paper notes.

Carrier

1 · Get invited (or just scan)

Accept a producer's invite to join — or simply scan stamps to sign, no account needed.

2 · Sign pickups

Scan the stamp at collection, check the load and sign.

3 · See shared transfers

Once linked, the transfers naming you appear in your own list.

4 · Request links

Ask producers who name you on paper to link, so you can see those records too.

5 · Originate (optional)

If you also handle your own waste, claim stamps and raise your own WTNs.

Destination

1 · Get invited (or just scan)

Join via a producer's invite, or scan stamps to confirm receipt anonymously.

2 · Confirm receipts

Scan on delivery, confirm what arrived and record the weighbridge figure.

3 · See incoming transfers

Linked transfers show in your list; reconcile against your gate records.

4 · Evidence the disposal end

Your confirmation closes the chain of custody for each load.

Sponsor

1 · Get shared access

Your producers share the transfers they tag with you — no set-up needed.

2 · See the supply chain

View every transfer across your projects in one register.

3 · Track compliance & ESG

Use the dashboard for duty-of-care, recovery rates and carbon.

4 · Drive conversion

See which producers are still on paper and which carriers to bring on.

Reference

Every feature at a glance

Transfers & Register Transfers · Register

Create, complete and browse every WTN. The Register is your duty-of-care record, exportable to CSV and PDF.

Stamps & Claim Stamps · Claim

Claim packs, see remaining stamps, and reprint labels.

Dashboard Dashboard

Org-wide analytics across three tabs — ESG / sustainability, compliance / duty of care, and cost — with date and party filters.

My Network My Network

A live map of your supply chain, partner sharing, invitations, and the "grow your network" funnel to convert paper carriers.

Paper WTN capture Scan · Upload · Review

Photograph legacy paper notes; OCR drafts them for review and confirmation into your register.

Directories Carriers · Destinations · Origins · Producers

Your address book of the parties and sites you work with, reused across every transfer.

DEFRA Digital Waste Tracking DEFRA

Submit evidenced native transfers to DEFRA where required.

Company, users & API My Organisation · Settings

Branding, team members and roles, and API keys for syncing with your own systems.

Reference

Glossary

WTN
Waste Transfer Note — the legal duty-of-care record for a movement of non-hazardous waste between parties.
EWC code
European Waste Catalogue / UK List of Waste code — a six-digit classification of the waste (e.g. 17 05 04, soil & stones). A * marks a hazardous entry.
Duty of care
The legal obligation to ensure waste is handled correctly and to keep records of every transfer.
D/R code
Disposal (D) or Recovery (R) code describing what happens to the waste at its destination.
Consignment note
The equivalent record for hazardous waste, with additional detail. Generated for hazardous stamped transfers.
Chain of custody
The signed hand-off from producer to carrier to destination, each verified by scanning the same stamp.
Claim card / QA marker
The card that registers a pack to your organisation, plus three markers that prove the pack was untampered in transit.
Native vs external
Native = a stamped, signed, evidenced transfer. External = a transcribed copy of a paper WTN, kept for completeness but not evidenced.
Reference

Frequently asked

Do carriers and destinations need an account to sign?

No. Anyone can scan a stamp and sign from their phone with no app and no login. An account is only needed if a party wants to see their transfers in one place or raise their own.

What happens if I lose signal on site?

Captures and sign-offs queue on the device and sync automatically when you're back online — with safeguards so nothing is duplicated or lost.

Can I use Wastestamp while I still get paper WTNs?

Yes — that's the point. Stamp what you can, photograph the paper notes you still receive, and gradually bring your carriers onto the platform.

Is a stamped WTN legally valid?

A completed native transfer captures the duty-of-care information and a verified chain of custody, and exports to a WTN / consignment note. Keep following your local regulator's record-keeping rules.

Who can see my transfers?

Only you, and the specific parties you share with — a carrier or destination sees only transfers where they're named; a sponsor sees only what you tag to them.

Ready to start?

Log in to create your first transfer, or explore the app to see how it all fits together.

Open the Wastestamp app →