Compliance
Certificates of destruction
The document that says what actually happened, and why it matters more than the manifest.
A certificate of destruction or treatment is issued by the receiving facility confirming the waste was destroyed or treated as intended. It is the only document that closes the cradle to grave chain, and it is not automatic.
What each document proves
The manifest proves the waste left your site and was received. It does not prove what happened next. A facility can receive waste, sign the manifest, and then store it, transfer it, or go out of business.
The certificate closes that gap. It states that a specific quantity of a specific waste was destroyed or treated by a named method on a named date. In a cradle to grave regime that is the document which actually ends your exposure.
What a useful certificate contains
- Generator name and EPA identification number
- Manifest number tying it to the shipment
- Waste description and EPA waste codes
- Quantity received and processed
- Treatment or destruction method used
- Date of processing
- Facility name, EPA identification number and authorized signature
Certificates are frequently issued only on request. Ask for them as standard rather than as an exception, and file them with the matching manifest.
Ask for it as a habit
Most generators hold a complete manifest file and a patchy certificate file. That is the wrong way round if the concern is long term liability rather than short term compliance.
Greer supplies certificates as standard rather than on request. If your current vendor does not, that is a reasonable thing to require rather than to ask for.
Common questions
Is a certificate of destruction required?
Not by regulation in most circumstances. It is required by prudence. The manifest satisfies the regulatory requirement; the certificate is what protects you if the receiving facility later becomes a problem.
How long should certificates be kept?
Permanently, if practical. They are the record that demonstrates a stream was actually destroyed, and cradle to grave liability has no expiry date.
What if the facility will not issue one?
That is worth asking about directly. A permitted facility processing waste properly has no reason to withhold documentation of having done so.
Related services
Not sure how this applies to your site?
Send a profile, an old manifest, or photographs of the drums. A technical professional will tell you where you stand.
This page summarizes federal requirements and is not legal advice. State programs can be more stringent than the federal baseline. Verify against current federal and state regulations before acting. Last reviewed September 2026.