Mandatory digital waste tracking

What digital waste tracking is

Digital waste tracking is a single UK-wide digital record of waste movements, built by Defra and the four regulators to replace the mix of transfer notes, consignment notes, returns and site records that currently track waste. The aim is to let regulators see where waste goes in near real time and to close the gaps that waste crime exploits. The service originally planned for April 2025 was delayed; the regulations finally came into force on 1 October 2026 in England (SI 2026/729) and Wales, with Scotland (SSI 2026/145) and Northern Ireland following on 1 January 2027.

It is being introduced in phases. Phase 1 covers only the receipt of waste at permitted and licensed sites. Producers, carriers, brokers and dealers do not yet record anything in the service, and their duty of care paperwork continues unchanged.

Who must record what, and by when

For each load the record must identify the operator and facility; the carrier, broker or dealer; the mode of transport; the waste description, codes and quantity; its physical form; and any hazardous properties or persistent organic pollutants (POPs). Waste that householders bring to council household waste recycling centres is excluded.

Watch out: the two-working-day rule starts from receipt, not from invoicing or weighbridge reconciliation. Sites that batch their records weekly will be in breach.

The fee and how to connect

• Each organisation pays £26 a year to use the service; the first payment is due by 31 January 2027.
• Data can be sent through an API from your weighbridge or site software, or uploaded by spreadsheet. Spreadsheet upload will be available until at least October 2027.
• Operators who are "digitally excluded" (for example with no reliable internet access) can keep written records instead, but must be able to show that they qualify.

Register on the service through GOV.UK's "Report receipt of waste" page, which also carries the technical guidance for API connections.

How it fits with transfer notes, consignment notes and returns

Phase 1 adds a record; it does not remove any. The Environment Agency has confirmed that waste transfer notes, hazardous waste consignment notes and quarterly consignee returns are all still required. Producers should carry on completing transfer notes with the EWC code and SIC code, and hazardous waste producers should carry on consigning as now (see our hazardous waste guide). When later phases bring carriers and producers into the service, the government intends the digital record to replace the paper note, but that will need new regulations.

Getting ready, step by step

1. Confirm which of your sites are in scope

   Any site receiving waste under a permit, licence or EASR authorisation is in phase 1; exemption-only sites are not yet.

2. Register your organisation on the service

   Set up your account on GOV.UK, add each facility and its permit number, and pay the £26 fee by 31 January 2027.

3. Choose API or spreadsheet

   If your weighbridge or site software can connect by API, work with your supplier; otherwise set up a spreadsheet routine that captures every field.

4. Train the weighbridge and office team

   Agree who enters each load, how carrier and code details are captured at the gate, and how you meet the two-working-day deadline over weekends and holidays.

5. Keep the existing paperwork

   Transfer notes, consignment notes and returns continue; make sure the digital record matches them.

Enforcement and penalties

In England the regulations give the Environment Agency a full set of civil sanctions: a £1,000 fixed penalty (increased by 50% if not paid on time), variable monetary penalties, compliance notices and cost-recovery notices, with prosecution and an unlimited fine for the most serious cases. Scotland's regulations provide for fines and compliance notices but no fixed penalty. Regulators have said they will focus on helping operators comply in the early months, but late or missing records are easy to detect precisely because the service is digital.

How it differs across the UK

E England

In force since 1 October 2026 under SI 2026/729, enforced by the Environment Agency with fixed penalties of £1,000, variable penalties and prosecution.

W Wales

In force since 1 October 2026, enforced by Natural Resources Wales. Household waste recycling centres are outside the scope.

S Scotland

In force from 1 January 2027 under SSI 2026/145, enforced by SEPA alongside EASR. Fines and compliance notices apply, but no fixed penalty.

NI Northern Ireland

Mandatory from January 2027 according to DAERA and GOV.UK, enforced by NIEA. Check DAERA's digital waste tracking page for the Northern Ireland regulations.

Key dates

• 1 Oct 2026

  Digital waste tracking mandatory for operators of permitted and licensed sites receiving waste

  Waste site operators EW

• 1 Jan 2027

  Digital waste tracking mandatory for authorised sites receiving waste in Scotland and Northern Ireland

  Waste site operators SNI

• 31 Jan 2027

  First annual digital waste tracking fee (£26 per organisation) due

  Organisations registered on the service EWSNI Annual

• Oct 2027

  Phase 2: carriers, brokers and dealers expected to record movements in the service

  Waste carriers, brokers and dealers EWSNI Proposed

Dates marked “Proposed” are announced or consulted on but not yet law. See the full deadlines calendar.

Fees and charges

Penalties and enforcement

Where to do it: official services

• Report receipt of waste (digital waste tracking service) Report or submit

  Register your organisation, add facilities, pay the annual fee and record waste receipts by API or spreadsheet. Defra and the UK regulators EWSNI

• Digital waste tracking service: policy and phasing Guidance

  The government's statement of who is in scope now and which phases are planned. Defra EWSNI

• Mandatory digital waste tracking system (Wales) Guidance

  Welsh Government guidance on the service and NRW's enforcement. Welsh Government W

• Digital waste tracking (Northern Ireland) Guidance

  DAERA's page on the January 2027 start in Northern Ireland. DAERA NI

The law behind this

• Waste (Digital Tracking) (England) Regulations 2026 (SI 2026/729) E
• Waste (Digital Tracking) (Scotland) Regulations 2026 (SSI 2026/145) S
• Environment Act 2021, sections 58 and 59 (waste tracking) EWSNI

Terms used in this guide

Digital waste tracking

The UK-wide digital service, mandatory in phases from October 2026, in which waste receipts and later movements are recorded instead of on paper.

Phase 1

The first stage of digital waste tracking, covering only operators of permitted, licensed or authorised sites that receive waste.

Digitally excluded operator

An operator unable to use the online service, for example through lack of connectivity, who may keep written records instead.

POPs

Persistent organic pollutants, such as certain flame retardants in soft furnishings, which must be identified in the waste record and destroyed rather than recycled.

Full glossary