Policy paper

Digital waste tracking service

Updated 25 February 2026

Apply to test the service in a private beta

Are you a waste receiver or software provider and want to get involved?  

To help software developers and waste receivers prepare for the mandatory changes to the reporting of waste movements, we are beginning with a private beta. This tests the service with a select group of users to gather feedback before public release.

Our aims are to: 

• help software developers and waste receivers prepare for the mandatory changes to the reporting of waste movements (coming into effect from October 2026) 
• give software developers (including third-party and internal development teams) as much time as possible to integrate their products and systems with the Defra Receipt of Waste Application Programming Interface (API) 
• test that our APIs, processes and documentation meet the needs of waste receivers and software developers 
• ensure the data we collect meets the needs of waste regulators 
• test and refine our registration, onboarding and support processes 

Who can take part in the private beta

To be eligible to take part, your organisation must: 

• operate one or more licensed or permitted waste receiving sites in the UK 
• be able to work with your external software developers or internal development team so you can provide data about the waste you receive via the receipt of waste API 
• agree for data provided during private beta to be reviewed by regulators and policy analysts for testing purposes 
• be willing to provide regular feedback on your experiences of using the service, including through surveys, user research sessions, diary studies and so on 

When will the private beta start

Invitations to join the private beta began in autumn 2025. We are sending them gradually as we test and refine the service. If you have already signed up to the private beta, we will contact you with more information over the coming months.

From spring 2026 we plan to allow all waste receivers to voluntarily use the public beta service. 

It will become mandatory for all waste receivers to use the service from October 2026. 

Apply to join the private beta 

To be invited to take part in the private beta, you must first register an interest to use the service. Apply to voluntarily test the report receipt of waste service.

We will invite a range of waste receivers, and software developers of varying size, sectors and UK nations. For this reason, we may not be able to invite all organisations who have applied to take part in the private beta. 

You will need to give: 

• basic details about your organisation, including contact details, type of waste and size of your organisation 
• details of any waste management software you currently use

We will publish information about the progress of our private beta on our GitHub site.

Introduction 

Waste crime and poor performing waste sites:

• damage the environment
• blight local communities
• undermine legitimate businesses
• cost the UK economy an estimated one billion pounds per year

The UK government, alongside Scottish Government, Welsh Government and the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) in Northern Ireland, is committed to tackling this issue.

Waste handled illegally also threatens our aspirations for a circular economy: a future where waste is reduced through keeping our resources in use for longer. By tackling criminal behaviour, we will not only prevent harm but also ensure that resources are being properly recycled or recovered and fed back into the economy. 

To do this, we need to address the information gap that hinders the effective regulation and management of waste by introducing mandatory digital waste tracking. This will transform existing outdated systems for recording waste movements.

In February 2025, in response to industry feedback, we announced that the digital waste tracking service would be in place from April 2026. This update provides more detail on:

• the service that will be introduced
• who will need to comply with mandatory digital waste tracking requirements and when

New approach to delivery 

The waste industry involves a large number and complex array of operators. This includes approximately:

• 12,000 waste site operators
• 150,000 registered waste exemption holders
• 300,000 registered waste carriers, brokers and dealers

These work across the UK in a wide variety of sectors with varying levels of digital capability. 

To build a stable, effective and user-friendly service we need to build it incrementally. This starts with the creation of a firm foundation which delivers some of the intended benefits. Additional aspects can be added as we learn from testing the core elements of the service. This will allow us to refine and adjust our approach as we move towards a more complete end-to-end waste tracking service. 

Following assessment of the options and international best practice, the first element of our waste tracking service will focus on waste receiving sites inputting data about all waste they receive. This includes waste containing persistent organic pollutants (POPs). Following this phase, we are planning to expand the service to other waste operators.

What do we mean by waste receiving sites?

Those required to hold a permit or licence to receive waste will be mandated to record details of waste received on the digital waste tracking service from October 2026. 

We recognise that waste can also be received under other types of authorisations, such as registered exemptions. But the numbers of operators of these are much larger and more diverse in terms of scale and types of operation.

Household waste recycling centres (HWRCs) 

Household waste recycling centre operators will need to record commercial waste received into permitted sites in England and Northern Ireland in phase 1.

For Scotland and Wales, this will come in the future.

Ways to submit data 

During user research in the previous phase of the project, users reported that manually creating records on a GOV.UK style service was time-consuming and burdensome. This was largely due to the level of information required on a waste movement record (the information currently required on waste transfer notes and hazardous waste consignment notes). They also reported that prototypes designed to capture data uploaded from csv files were difficult to use. Feedback suggested a more prevalent use of some form of digital system to capture details of waste movements by waste sector operators than previously estimated.

From this feedback we now intend to primarily deliver a solution that integrates with users’ existing software by automatically capturing data through an application programming interface (API). Where companies make use of commercial software, it will be important for us to have direct close engagement with these companies to understand and enable this API driven approach.

User testing has shown that those using waste tracking software strongly advocate it due to the positive impacts it has had on their business. We will however also be exploring and testing an alternative way for people to digitally provide their information.

Alternative solution for waste receivers not currently operating with software 

For waste receivers who currently do not have software for managing the movement of their waste, we are developing an alternative way to submit data using a spreadsheet.  

This temporary solution will help waste receivers comply while they acquire software to track their waste digitally.

We will keep this method under review and withdraw it when appropriate. We currently expect it to remain in place until at least October 2027. 

What are the benefits of this approach to delivering the service? 

Starting with a service for a smaller, better defined and identifiable group of users means we can:

• more effectively engage and more confidently understand their needs and requirements
• build an initial service that works for both businesses and regulators

We expect this group to be more likely to have the digital capability to adapt more readily but we will explore this further through user research.  

We also have accurate information about the numbers of operators working under permits and licences. This is in contrast to carriers, brokers, dealers or exemption holders, where people may have registered these but not be actively operating. We will therefore be able to accurately monitor information, enabling us to target communications and activity to ensure all licensed and permitted sites are using the service. 

Through the information provided by the receiving sites we will also be able to get a more accurate understanding of the numbers of waste movements. This will help to inform the development of the digital service to ensure it is able to effectively accommodate the volume of transactions.

How will this help tackle waste crime? 

Connecting fragmented systems and digitising record-keeping will ultimately make it:

• easier for waste producers and legitimate waste companies to comply with reporting requirements
• harder for rogue operators to compete in the industry and commit waste crime, from fly-tipping to illegal waste sites to illegal waste exports

Delivering a service which captures information from waste receivers is the first step towards this. With access to individual waste load data, regulators at roadside checks can quickly verify if waste was delivered to a legitimate site, ensuring compliance. Through the digital records they will also have access to better information about the carriers who have delivered the waste. This will enable more effective audits of the waste chain if a problem is found with any waste on a receiving site. It will also help regulators proactively identify and take necessary action if:

• a site appears to be accepting greater volumes of waste than is authorised by their permit
• any potentially problematic waste types are being accepted by a site which could cause local environmental issues if not managed appropriately

Support for digitally excluded users

We are required by law to provide an alternative mechanism for those who meet the definition of a digitally excluded person.    

Starting with operators holding waste permits and licences, we believe the number of those unable to use electronic systems will be extremely low.   

We will however include alternative requirements in the secondary legislation.

Service charge fee

Registering with the digital waste tracking service will incur an upfront annual charge of £26 that grants 12 months of rolling access to the service. 

The service charge will be implemented once the system becomes mandatory. It will be required for any legal entity that creates or edits records in the service.

Green list waste exports and imports

For those handling green list waste (also known as Article 18 waste), tracking for this will be built into a future phase of the digital waste tracking service. Development is underway and we’ll provide updates as this feature takes shape.

Timelines 

Planned dates for the development of the digital service and accompanying legislation are as follows:  

Phase 1 (service designed for waste receivers): 

• from autumn 2025 – digital waste tracking service to be available to an invited group of waste receivers in increasing numbers (private beta phase) 
• from spring 2026 – digital waste tracking service to be available publicly for all permitted and licensed receiving site operators to use (public beta phase) 
• by April 2026 – all nations to have laid secondary legislation to mandate the use of the service by receiving site operators from October 2026 
• from October 2026 – service mandatory for receiving site operators in Wales, Northern Ireland and England 
• January 2027 – service mandatory for receiving site operators in Scotland 

Phase 2 (service designed for waste collectors – carriers, brokers and dealers):

• from autumn 2026 – digital waste tracking service to be available to an invited group of waste collectors in increasing numbers (private beta phase) 
• from spring 2027 – digital waste tracking service to be available publicly for all waste collectors (public beta phase) 
• from October 2027 – digital waste tracking service mandatory for waste collectors

Next steps 

It is important that we engage with a fully representative user base. This enables us to gather the necessary insights and feedback to shape the design of the service, making it simple and easy to use.

We are bringing users closer to the design of the service through:

• working groups for commercial industry operators and local authorities
• a technical group to help develop and inform the API

Meetings began in July 2025.  

We also issue updates and communications on a regular basis through the Circular Economy newsletter. 

Further information

You can find more information on this project: 

• get the latest news on circular economy reforms 
• register your interest in waste tracking service user groups 

Our previously announced government response on the implementation of mandatory digital waste tracking has further details on:

• the scope of the digital waste tracking service
• what information will need to be recorded

Get help with digital waste tracking

Digital waste tracking helpline
Phone: 03000 203 781
Monday to Friday, 8am to 5pm
Closed on bank holidays
Find out about call charges

If you’re signed up to digital waste tracking

If you need help using the digital waste tracking service, you can contact the dedicated helpline. We’ll include the phone number when we write to you to welcome you and confirm that you’ve signed up. 

How the team can help 

 The team can help with: 

• general information on digital waste tracking 
• questions related to the alternative submission method 

The team cannot answer any regulatory questions and users would need to get in touch with their respective regulator.  

Get help with your software 

Digital waste tracking’s dedicated helpline cannot give advice about specific software products. Each product will work differently depending on the individual software provider. Your software provider should have guidance on how to use their software. 

Contact your provider if you need any additional support.