Digital Waste Tracking
Understanding the transition from paper records to connected digital waste tracking across the waste chain.
Waste has traditionally been recorded through a mixture of paper documents, spreadsheets and separate reporting systems. Digital Waste Tracking represents a shift towards a more connected way of recording waste movements, creating a clearer digital record of where waste goes and who is responsible for it.
The aim is not simply to replace paper with a screen. Digital records can give regulators better visibility of waste movements, improve the consistency of information and help identify activity that may require further attention.
A phased transition
Digital Waste Tracking is being introduced in phases across the waste chain.
The first phase focuses on waste receiving sites. From 1 October 2026, permitted and licensed sites in England and Wales that receive controlled waste must report every load they receive through the digital waste tracking service.
The next phase will extend digital tracking to waste carriers, brokers and dealers, with public availability planned from spring 2027 and mandatory use from October 2027.
This phased approach allows the system to expand gradually towards a more complete picture of the waste chain.
Recording waste receipts
For receiving sites, the new requirements mean that information about each relevant waste receipt must be recorded and submitted digitally.
This includes information such as waste movement details, carrier and receiver information, waste classification codes, recovery or disposal codes, POPs information and hazardous waste information where applicable. (GOV.UK)
The information can be submitted through software connected to the government service using an API, allowing waste management software to send records directly to the Digital Waste Tracking service.
For organisations without suitable software, a spreadsheet submission route is also available as a temporary alternative. The government currently expects this route to remain available until at least October 2027. (GOV.UK)
When records need to be submitted
Digital tracking also introduces a defined timeframe for recording receipts.
For waste received in England or Wales, records must be submitted within 2 working days, beginning on the day after the waste is received. If a submitted record contains an error, it must also be corrected within the same timeframe. (GOV.UK)
This creates a more consistent reporting process rather than leaving records to be compiled much later.
Why digital tracking matters
One of the central reasons for introducing Digital Waste Tracking is to improve visibility across the waste chain.
When waste movements are recorded digitally, regulators can access more consistent information about individual loads and the organisations involved. This can help identify patterns such as sites receiving waste beyond the volumes allowed by their permits or accepting problematic waste types. (GOV.UK)
Digital records can also create a clearer audit trail. Instead of information being distributed across separate paperwork and reporting systems, the data can be connected and analysed more effectively.
The wider objective is therefore not simply digitisation. It is to create better information about how waste moves through the system, supporting compliance, regulation and efforts to tackle waste crime. (GOV.UK)
From paper records to connected systems
For waste operators, this transition changes how records are created and submitted.
A digital waste record brings together information about the waste, its classification, the movement, the carrier and the receiving site. Software can then help structure that information and send it through the appropriate digital route.
As Digital Waste Tracking expands across the waste chain, the longer-term direction is towards a more connected record of waste movements — from collection and transfer through to treatment, recovery or disposal.
The transition is therefore not just about replacing paperwork. It is about creating a more visible, consistent and connected picture of how waste moves.