top of page
Phone: +44 (0) 1789 400 341
The Old School House, Arrow, Alcester, Warwickshire, B49 5PJ
E-Mail : support@infotechsolutions.co.uk |
Tel : +44 1789 400341
"Celebrating 30 Years in the weighing industry"
Defra Waste Tracking 2026
About the Defra Digital Waste Tracking Service
The Digital Waste Tracking (DWT) Service is a UK-wide platform developed by the Department for
Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra), in partnership with the Scottish Government, Welsh
Government and the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) in Northern
Ireland. It replaces paper waste transfer notes and hazardous waste consignment notes with a single
digital record of every waste movement, with the aim of reducing waste crime (estimated by Defra
to cost the UK economy around £1 billion per year) and supporting the move to a circular economy.
Phase 1 of the rollout focuses on waste receiving sites. From October 2026, every site in England,Wales and Northern Ireland that holds a permit or licence to receive waste will be legally required torecord details of every load it receives on the DWT service. Scotland’s mandatory date follows inJanuary 2027. Phase 2, covering waste carriers, brokers, dealers and exporters, is currentlyscheduled for October 2027.
Key Dates
Autumn 2025 Private beta — selected operators and software providers testing the
Defra Receipt of Waste API.
28 April 2026 Public beta opens — all permitted and licensed receiving sites can
register and submit data voluntarily.
October 2026 Mandatory go-live for permitted and licensed waste receivers in
England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
January 2027 Mandatory go-live for Scotland.
October 2027 Phase 2 — mandate extends to carriers, brokers, dealers and exporters
What Must Be Recorded For Each Movement
What Must Be Recorded For Each Movement
Defra has confirmed that the following information must be captured for every load of waste
received:
• Waste classification — European Waste Catalogue (EWC) code and SIC code of the waste
producer.
• A unique movement reference number for each load.
• Details of the dispatching party (producer or holder) and the receiving site.
• Haulier details, including waste carrier registration number.
• Physical form, container type, quantity and (where applicable) hazardous property codes.
• A flag identifying any waste containing Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs).
• The treatment outcome and end destination, including the disposal (D) or recovery (R) code
applied at site.
How Data Is Submitted
The DWT service is API-first. Defra’s Receipt of Waste API is the primary route, designed so that
existing waste management software can submit movement data directly to the central service.
Defra also supports CSV uploads and a secure online portal for operators who cannot integrate, and
has committed to providing alternative routes for digitally excluded users. Defra does not certify or
mandate any specific commercial software; vendors integrate against the published API
specification.
Charges and Enforcement
Defra has indicated a cost-recovery model for the service (industry reporting points to an annual
service fee per site, with the final figure to be confirmed before mandatory go-live). From October
2026, paper waste transfer notes alone will not satisfy the legal requirement in England; the
Environment Agency will begin active enforcement, with non-compliance potentially leading to fixed
penalty notices, prosecution and permit consequences. Household waste collections and household
waste recycling centres (HWRC) household deliveries remain out of scope; commercial waste
received at HWRCs in England is in scope.
Heading 4
bottom of page