Digital Waste Tracking (DWT) – Collections of Waste
DEFRA's Digital Waste Tracking (DWT) – Collections of Waste alpha assessment report
Service standard report
DWT – Collections of Waste
| Assessment date | 23/07/2026 | |
| Assessment stage | Alpha | |
| Assessment type | Assessment | |
| Service provider | Core Defra | |
| Result | Green |
Service description
The Digital Waste Tracking service aims to address the information gap that hinders the effective regulation of waste. Currently waste movements are recorded via paper forms that are not generally shared with regulators. This lack of visibility makes it challenging for regulators to tackle waste crime. Our scope focuses on extending the planned Digital Waste Tracking service to include waste operators that collect waste or arrange for the collection of waste (carriers, brokers and dealers). The extended service will allow carriers, brokers and dealers to record information about waste movements and make this visible to regulators.
Service users
-Carriers – operators that collect waste -Brokers and dealers – operators that arrange for the collection of waste -Software Providers – organisations that facilitate data capture from Carriers, Brokers & Dealers via software products.
Service users
The scope of the service we covered in Alpha was from a waste movement being arranged, ending with that waste being received at a waste receiving site.
We did not include an operator registering as a waste carrier, broker or dealer, registration is delivered separately by regulators in each nation. Neither did we include registration of the Digital Waste Tracking Service as this is currently picked up elsewhere with the programme.
We did not focus on waste being received at a waste receiving site from the perspective of the waste receiver, as this has been covered by the Digital Waste Tracking Receipt of Waste team.
We did not include regulator or enforcement activity after the waste movement has been received, there is a separate team set up to work on this.
Associated services
The service does not replace an existing digital service. Digital Waste Tracking for Collections expands the Digital Waste Tracking service for Waste Receivers that is currently in private beta.
The current paper process is based on paper Waste Tracking Notes and Consignment Notes and the Waste Duty of Care Code of Practice.
Other associated services include:
Services to register as a waste operator or view the registers:
-Register or renew as a waste carrier, broker, or dealer in England/ NI/ Scotland/ Wales -Public register of waste carriers, brokers and dealers England/ NI/ Scotland/ Wales -Apply online for a standard rules or bespoke permit -Register your waste exemptions England/ NI/ Scotland/ Wales -Register of waste exemptions England/ NI/ Scotland/ Wales
Things the service team has done well:
-Collaboration between the disciplines was very evident during the assessment. -User research has been front and centre throughout this project. While there is no front-end for this service, this has made a positive impact on the technical solution and the approach of the whole team. -The team also appear to have a very good working relationship with the wider programme.
1. Understand users and their needs
Decision
The service was rated green for point 1 of the Standard.
Optional advice to help the service team continually improve the service:
-The team should test whether users can comply using an API-only service. This should include users who sit at the lower end of the digital inclusion scale. The team should also test with hauliers, transporters and define what it expects from developers, and check whether small and large operators can adopt the service.
-The team could also run a hackathon session with software developers using the API and understand how well it works in practice.
-Before moving beyond Private Beta, the team should demonstrate that API documentation is accessible, understandable and actionable for software providers, and that different suppliers can implement the service consistently without requiring significant interpretation of policy, data definitions or user needs. This will reduce implementation risk, improve accessibility across supplier products and support a more consistent experience for waste operators.
2. Solve a whole problem for users
Decision
The service was green for point 2 of the Standard.
Optional advice to help the service team continually improve the service:
• For Beta: The team should show how customers are being introduced to, and supported through, adoption of the digital service.
3. Provide a joined-up experience across all channels
Decision
The service was rated green for point 3 of the Standard.
Optional advice to help the service team continually improve the service:
-For Beta: the team should show the roadmap for replacing the paper-based solution with the different vendor-supplied software solutions.
4. Make the service simple to use
Decision
The service was rated green for point 4 of the Standard.
5. Make sure everyone can use the service
Decision
The service was rated green for point 5 of the Standard.
Optional advice to help the service team continually improve the service:
-During Alpha assessment the team showed a very good understanding of potential issues a software solution could create for users. For Beta: show how users who experience issues like low digital skills / low reading and writing skills / unreliable internet connections are being supported in adopting and using the digital products.
-The team should define and test its assisted digital support and run end-to-end usability testing with realistic journeys. I would advise the team to seek out those users who have access needs, and if they struggle to find users, seek out users who have access needs but not necessarily the domain knowledge. Civil Service Disability Network - GOV.UK
6. Have a multidisciplinary team
Decision
The service was rated green for point 6 of the Standard.
Optional advice to help the service team continually improve the service:
- The team is well resourced and currently meets Standard 6, demonstrating effective capability and capacity to deliver against its objectives. To sustain this position, continue to review resource allocation and succession planning regularly, ensuring skills remain aligned to future priorities and emerging demands.
7. Use agile ways of working
Decision
The service was rated green for point 7 of the Standard.
Optional advice to help the service team continually improve the service:
-The team has demonstrated mature and effective agile ways of working, consistently adapting to changing priorities while maintaining delivery outcomes and stakeholder confidence. To build on this strength, the team should continue to promote continuous improvement through regular retrospectives, sharing best practice across teams (particularly important given the complexity of this programme of work) and evolving ways of working to maximise efficiency.
8. Iterate and improve frequently
Decision
The service was rated green for point 8 of the Standard.
Optional advice to help the service team continually improve the service:
-To maintain the demonstrated level of performance, continue to monitor effectiveness through regular review, share lessons learned, and identify opportunities to further strengthen and embed best practice across the wider programme.
9. Create a secure service which protects users’ privacy
Decision
The service was rated green for point 9 of the Standard.
Optional advice to help the service team continually improve the service:
-During the Alpha assessment the team discussed the platform and the security aspects of it which align with this service standard. Going into Private Beta, the team is encouraged to look at field level encryption where that would mitigate the impact of data breaches and data leaks.
10. Define what success looks like and publish performance data
Decision
The service was rated green for point 10 of the Standard.
Optional advice to help the service team continually improve the service:
-The team should continue to review governance processes regularly, ensuring they remain proportionate, transparent and responsive to changing business needs.
11. Choose the right tools and technology
Decision
The service was rated green for point 11 of the Standard.
12. Make new source code open
Decision
The service was rated green for point 12 of the Standard.
13. Use and contribute to open standards, common components and patterns
Decision
The service was rated green for point 13 of the Standard.
Optional advice to help the service team continually improve the service:
-The team is leveraging the existing user accounts and management portals that allow a user to authorize software providers to act on that user’s behalf. For Private Beta, investigate options that allow a user to authorise a software provider without the user needing to manage API keys, which might require collaboration with teams owning those common components so that the journey can be improved.
14. Operate a reliable service
Decision
The service was rated green for point 14 of the Standard.
Optional advice to help the service team continually improve the service:
-The team is using the OpenAPI open standard for documenting their API and using API versioning at the schema level which aligns with the goals of this standard. For Private Beta, the team should proactively consider versioning of API resources (endpoints and data models) to mitigate the risk of a breaking change being required. It is possible to introduce this in a non-breaking way to the current API without the need to introduce version numbers in the resource URL by allowing the integrating system to provide the version as an HTTP header, with implementations using the Accept or a custom HTTP header as an example. This implementation is only given as an example, and the team is encouraged to investigate a versioning mechanism that aligns to their department standards.
Next Steps
This service can now move into a private beta phase, subject to getting approval from the GDS spend control team. The service must meet the standard at beta assessment before launching public beta.
To get the service ready to launch on GOV.UK the team needs to:
● get a GOV.UK service domain name
● work with the GOV.UK content team on any changes required to GOV.UK content
This service now has permission to launch on a GOV.UK service domain with a beta banner.