For every animal by-product and fallen stock collection, a piece of paper travels with the load, and that Commercial Document is the legal backbone of the whole system. Martlands provides a Commercial Document with every collection across our fallen stock and ABP collection service, working from our family-run, DEFRA approved base in Burscough, Lancashire. Understanding what these documents are, why they exist and how to keep them is one of the most useful things any farmer, butcher or food business can learn.
What a Commercial Document Actually Is
A Commercial Document, often abbreviated to CD, accompanies the movement of animal by-products from the premises where they arise to the approved facility that receives them. It records what the material is, its category, the quantity, where it came from, who carried it and where it went. In effect it creates an unbroken paper trail proving that by-products were handled through the licensed system rather than disappearing into an unknown route. For higher-risk material this traceability is the mechanism that keeps the food and feed chain safe, which is why the document is a legal requirement rather than an administrative nicety.
How a Commercial Document Differs From a Waste Transfer Note
Food businesses often hold both a Commercial Document and a Waste Transfer Note for the same collection and wonder why two pieces of paper exist. The Waste Transfer Note sits within waste regulation and records the transfer of controlled waste between parties, while the Commercial Document sits within the ABP framework and captures the category and traceability specific to animal by-products. They serve overlapping but distinct purposes, and a compliant collection generates the right documentation for the material involved. Our guidance on how to how to stay compliant with UK ABP regulations places these documents in the wider compliance picture.
Why Retention Matters
Holding the document at the point of collection is only half the job, because you must also retain it. Records should be kept in order and available for inspection for the period required, so that if a DEFRA officer, an assurance scheme auditor or a local authority inspector asks how a given quantity of material was disposed of, you can produce the evidence immediately. A farm that can hand over a tidy file of Commercial Documents demonstrates control, while one that cannot invites further scrutiny. Our piece on a guide to fallen stock record keeping covers practical filing for livestock keepers.
What Good Documentation Looks Like in Practice
The strongest position is a complete, chronological set of documents that matches your mortality or waste records, with no gaps and no ambiguity about category. Because Martlands provides the paperwork on every collection as standard, building that file is simply a matter of keeping what we hand over. Our farm and fallen stock collection service is built around this principle, and our regional Cheshire ABP collection coverage applies the same standard to commercial by-product producers.
How Long to Keep Your Records
Holding the document is only useful if you keep it, and records should be retained and kept accessible for the period the regulations require rather than discarded once a collection is done. A simple folder, or a scanned digital copy backed up safely, is enough provided it is complete and in date order. The strongest position is one where your retained documents reconcile cleanly with your own mortality or waste records, so that any quantity of material can be traced to a specific collection. Building that habit costs almost nothing and turns an inspection into a straightforward exercise of handing over a tidy file.
Keeping It Simple
You do not need to be an expert in waste law to stay compliant, you need a licensed collector who produces correct documentation every time and a simple habit of filing it. To set up collections that come with complete, audit-ready paperwork as standard, call Martlands on 01704 776977 and we will make your documentation one less thing to worry about.
