A manifest is a document used to track the movement of liquid industrial and hazardous wastes (subject wastes) as they move from a generator to an off-site receiving facility. Manifests are used to identify the type of waste being shipped, overall volumes and the movements of the waste from generator to carrier to receiver to ensure that these wastes are managed appropriately.

There are three parts to the manifest: the generator portion, the carrier portion and the receiver portion.

The Registry will aid generators to complete a manifest by importing information about the waste generation facility and the waste stream(s) to be shipped directly from the facility registration. It will also aid carriers and receivers by pulling information from their Registry accounts to help populate their portions of the manifest.

Prior to the waste leaving the waste generation facility, both the generator and carrier must certify the manifest information they submitted.

6.1 Manifest information requirements

The following information is required on a manifest to meet the requirements of Regulation 347.

6.1.1 Generator manifest information

  • Company name (Operating Name)
  • Mailing address associated with the waste generation facility
  • Contact information for the generator (for example, e-mail and phone number)
  • Address of the facility (site address)
  • Name and signature of person signing as an authorized representative of the generator
  • Waste stream information:
    • waste number (waste class and characterization)
    • shipping name
    • quantity shipped and unit of measurement
    • physical state
  • Intended receiver:
    • ECA number (or jurisdictional registration number if the receiver is outside of Ontario)
    • receiver company name
    • receiver mailing address
    • receiver facility site address
    • contact information for the receiver (for example, e-mail and phone number)

6.1.2 Carrier manifest information

  • ECA number
  • Company name (Operating Name)
  • Carrier mailing address
  • Contact information (for example, e-mail and phone number)
  • Vehicle information as necessary (for example, trailer registration, etc.)
  • Name and signature of person signing as a representative of the carrier

6.1.3 Receiver manifest information

  • ECA number (or jurisdictional registration number if the receiver is outside of Ontario)
  • Receiver company name
  • Receiver mailing address
  • Receiver facility site address
  • Contact information for the receiver (for example, e-mail and phone number)
  • Name and signature of person signing as a representative of the receiver
  • Quantity received and unit of measurement
  • Handling code (the final method of handling at the receiver’s location should be entered):
    • 01 storage
    • 02 thermal treatment
    • 03 chemical treatment
    • 04 physical treatment
    • 05 biological treatment
    • 06 secure landfill
    • 07 recycling
    • 08 solidification
    • 09 other [please specify]
  • Date and time that the shipment of waste is received at the receiving site
  • Any applicable comments (for example, if the quantity of wastes received is significantly different than the recorded quantity being shipped that was noted by the generator, the receiver may provide a comment to explain the difference.)
  • Whether or not the shipment was accepted or refused
  • Name and signature of person signing as a representative of the receiver

Note: Every carrier who is the operator of a waste transportation system that is subject to an environmental compliance approval to operate as a dust suppression waste management system may deposit for the purpose of dust suppression, in accordance with the approval, dust suppressant at a dust suppression site designated in the approval and, where that is done, shall, at the time of completion of the deposit, complete receiver information on the manifest.

Please visit RPRA’s Hazardous Waste Program Registry webpage for information and instruction on how to complete a manifest through the Registry.

When completing a manifest for waste shipments in Ontario, generators are responsible for meeting all provincial, federal and international regulatory requirements. Please contact the appropriate federal government department for guidance and instructions regarding federal requirements.

The next section of the manual describes manifest procedures that have been developed in Ontario to handle special situations.

6.2 Load refusal (section 27 of Regulation 347)

If a receiver refuses a shipment of subject waste, the carrier should consult and obtain instructions from the generator before attempting to deliver the waste to a different receiver. If the carrier cannot conveniently make a different transfer, the carrier may return the waste to the generator, updating the manifest through the Registry. See section 27 of Regulation 347.

When a receiver refuses to accept a shipment of waste, the receiver must submit refusal report information through the Registry. This includes the following: What waste was refused (for example, all of the load or part of the load); The reason for the refusal. Once the receiver has completed their portion of the manifest, the generator or carrier can then submit through the Registry the new intended receiver information (either the generator identified in the generator manifest information, or an alternate receiver) where the waste will be diverted to and continue to the destination. The new receiver (including the generator if the waste is being returned to the generator) will then be required to complete the receiver manifest information for the new manifest through the Registry.

6.3 The use of the manifest for exempt waste

If another jurisdiction requires the manifesting of a shipment of a waste that is exempt from Ontario’s manifesting requirements (such as the requirements under the Cross-border Movement of Hazardous Waste and Hazardous Recyclable Material Regulations under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999) the Ministry suggests that the generator obtain the appropriate manifest forms from the regulatory agency that requires them.

The use of the Registry for manifests is intended to meet Ontario’s Regulation 347 requirements. While the Registry has also been designed to help regulated parties meet some federal regulations, it is the responsibility of the regulated party to determine if any other jurisdictional requirements are met.

6.4 Corrections to manifests

If an error has been made on the manifest, the error must be corrected:

Any correction initiated by a generator, carrier or receiver must be agreed to by all those that have already confirmed their portion of the manifest. For example, if a receiver initiates a correction and the carrier and generator have already certified and submitted their portion of the manifest, then both the carrier and generator must confirm the correction before the manifest is complete. If a carrier initiates a correction before the receiver accepts the waste, then the generator must confirm the correction. Finally, a generator may make corrections to the manifest up to the time when a carrier certifies and submits the manifest with no further confirmation from other parties. For manifests that have already been confirmed as received by the receiver, the person initiating the correction would contact RPRA to make the correction.

6.5 Shipments of exempt waste — International and inter-provincial movements

In special situations, some hazardous wastes may be exempt from generator registration and manifesting requirements in Ontario (please see section 2.2 Exemptions). Manifesting may be required under another regulation, however, if these wastes are being shipped internationally or inter-provincially. The most common situation where this arises in Ontario involves waste that meets the requirements of sub-paragraph 1 i of paragraph 1 of sub-section 3 (2) of Section 3 of Regulation 347, where:

  • the shipments must be direct between Ontario generators and the out-of-province receiver
  • the waste must be wholly used at the receiving facility in an ongoing agricultural, commercial, manufacturing or industrial process, or an operation used principally for functions other than waste management, and the process or operation does not involve combustion or land application of the waste
  • while transporting the material, the carrier must have in his or her possession a document from the owner or operator of the site to which the material is being transported in which the owner or operator agrees to accept the material, specifies what use will be made of it, and stipulates that the process or operation is ongoing at the time the material is being transported

For the international and inter-provincial movement of such hazardous waste, direct shipments of waste from Ontario generators to out-of-province receivers are exempt from Part V of the Environmental Protection Act and Regulation 347, provided that the above requirements are met. The Ministry therefore does not require either waste manifesting or generator registration for such direct shipments.

For shipments of wastes that do not require manifesting in Ontario, the Ontario generator is responsible for complying with the regulatory and legislative requirements of other applicable jurisdictions. These responsibilities may include compliance with requirements under the federal government’s the Cross-border Movement of Hazardous Waste and Hazardous Recyclable Material Regulations (XBR), under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, or the requirements under the federal government’s Transportation of Dangerous Goods Act and its regulations.

Should these or any other applicable regulations (i.e., in the receiving jurisdiction) require the use of a waste manifest; the Ministry suggests that the generator obtain the necessary manifests from the regulatory agency that requires them. If any of these other regulations require that a copy of the manifest be sent to the Ontario Ministry, the generator must fill in the Ontario Generator Registration Number section on the form with "Exempt" and must also indicate in the Provincial Code section (i.e., Ontario Waste Class) that the waste is "Exempt."

Generators are discouraged from using the Ontario manifest to ship non-subject waste.