Digital Waste Tracking legislation, which will requires businesses to a create a real-time audit trial for the waste they handle, is being laid in parliament.
The hope is that the new approach for tracking waste will provide faster, more reliable data and help to identify suspicious activity.
At the moment, waste consignments are tracked using a largely paper based system, which the government calls ‘overly bureaucratic’.
The new system could provide new intelligence around rogue operators and support enforcement bodies to target action against companies breaking the law.
The service will become mandatory for permitted waste receiving sites in England, Northern Ireland and Wales from October 2026 and Scotland in January 2027.
Phase 1 will apply to around 12,000 permitted waste receiving sites. As the service expands, over 100,000 operators are set to be in scope.
Mary Creagh, Minister for Nature, said the new legislation cuts red tape and speeds up paperwork for legitimate operators.
“Through our Waste Crime Action Plan, we are tightening the net on the waste cowboys,” Creagh said. “Our Digital Waste Tracking (DWT) service will give authorities better, more reliable evidence to go after rogue operators and shut them down.”
The new system will require detailed data to be submitted for each waste transfer, including classification codes, movement references, and treatment outcomes.
The Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs (Defra) confirmed the mandatory rollout of the service will begin in October 2027.
Dan Cooke, Director of Policy, Communications and External Affairs at the CIWM (Chartered Institution of Wastes Management), called the launch of DWT ‘long-overdue’ and praised the government for fulfilling its commitment to introduce the service.
“It is intended to become a vital tool for regulators and responsible waste producers to help ensure that the right waste ends up in the right place,” Cooke continued.
“It should be noted that it is phase one being introduced this year and only applies to permitted waste receiving sites – arguably the most straightforward to regulate. Only when DWT is extended across the sector will its value be properly evident.”
“Nonetheless, this is a positive milestone and CIWM and its members will support and enable its full implementation as it progresses.”