A complete guide to the UK's digital waste tracking regulations. What they mean for your waste facility, when they take effect, and how to prepare.
The DEFRA Digital Waste Tracking mandate is a new UK regulation requiring all waste movements to be recorded digitally. Announced by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), the mandate aims to modernize waste tracking, reduce illegal waste activity, and improve environmental compliance across the UK.
The regulations will replace paper-based Waste Transfer Notes (WTNs) and Hazardous Waste Consignment Notes (HWCNs) with digital systems that validate waste codes, track movements in real-time, and create searchable audit trails.
Waste receivers (transfer stations, MRFs, recycling facilities, treatment sites) must use digital waste tracking systems from October 2026. Producers and carriers will follow in later phases.
The DEFRA mandate applies to all parties involved in waste movements:
First to be mandated. Sites that accept waste deliveries must validate and record every movement digitally.
Haulage companies and logistics operators moving waste between sites.
Businesses and organizations generating waste.
Under the DEFRA regulations, waste sites must:
The UK government identified several problems with paper-based waste tracking:
Digital waste tracking solves these problems by creating a complete, tamper-proof record of every waste movement in the UK.
If you're a waste receiver, you need to:
Select a software platform that handles Digital Waste Transfer Notes and Digital Consignment Notes. Ensure it validates waste codes, stores records securely, and integrates with your existing workflow.
Your weighbridge staff, intake officers, and compliance team need to understand how to use the digital system. Plan training sessions well before the October 2026 deadline.
Run a pilot with a small number of movements before going fully digital. Identify any workflow issues and fix them before the mandate takes effect.
Let your suppliers know you'll be using digital waste tracking. Even though they're not mandated until later, they may need to adjust their processes to work with your system.
DEFRA has not yet published specific penalties for failing to comply with the digital waste tracking mandate. However, based on existing waste regulations, non-compliance could result in:
DigitalWTN is built specifically for the DEFRA Digital Waste Tracking mandate. Our platform:
Join our early access list to be among the first waste receivers using DigitalWTN. Lock in lifetime pricing and be fully compliant before the October 2026 deadline.
Join the Build ListYes. The digital waste tracking service is a UK-wide initiative managed jointly by DEFRA, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA), Natural Resources Wales (NRW), and the Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA). If you operate in Scotland or Wales, rely on SEPA guidance or NRW updates respectively, but the core digital tracking requirements will be unified across the UK.
The UK government has set the implementation date for October 2026. Waste authorities are urging businesses to start preparing their digital systems now to avoid disruptions when the switch-over occurs.
Most commercial waste handling will require digital tracking. Exemptions are generally limited to non-commercial activities (like householders moving their own garden waste to a tip) or certain very low-risk waste movements defined by the Environment Agency. If you are a business moving waste, assume you will need to comply.
You will be able to register via the upcoming government portal using your Government Gateway ID. However, for day-to-day operations, most waste sites will use integrated software like DigitalWTN which connects directly to the government's API, saving you from manual data entry.