Around 12,000 permitted waste receiving sites in England and Wales are now required to log the waste they manage using the new Digital Waste Tracking system.
The new ‘Report Receipt of Waste’ service is mandatory to use for permitted waste receiving sites in England and Wales, with Scotland and Northern Ireland set to follow in January 2027.
The businesses are now required to create a real-time audit trail for the waste they handle as part of government plans to crack down on waste crime.
Further rollout of the Digital Waste Tracking (DWT) service is planned from spring 2027, as it expands to include waste collectors. As the DWT service expands, over 100,000 operators will be required to log the waste they handle.
In-scope waste drop-off sites will now need to record information for each waste transfer they make, such as the details of the waste carrier, the waste classification code, which describes the type of waste being discarded, and treatment outcomes.
Waste criminals used to exploit the gaps, but now they will have nowhere to hide.
The Environment Agency plan to use the data gathered through the DWT service to identify discrepancies between reported collections and receipts.
From there, officers will be able to flag suspicious activity and investigate operators suspected of illegal dumping, mislabelling waste or handling waste illegally.
Environment Secretary Dame Angela Eagle commented: “Waste criminals used to exploit the gaps, but now they will have nowhere to hide.”
“We are backing the communities whose lives have been blighted by this disgusting crime.”
“Through this new service, real-time information will mean faster enforcement and more evidence to catch rogue operators and shut them down at every part of the waste journey.”
Commenting when the DWT legislation was laid in parliament, 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.
