Digital Waste Tracking

Bartec is helping councils and local authority waste operations prepare for new, mandatory Digital Waste Tracking. Collective already holds your waste transfer data and will automatically compile and submit the required information to the DWT API on your behalf.

Prepare Your Council for DEFRA's Mandatory Digital Waste Tracking Service

Paper-based waste transfer notes are being retired. From October 2026, DEFRA’s Digital Waste Tracking (DWT) service will require licensed waste receiving sites across England, Northern Ireland and Wales to record every waste movement electronically. Scotland follows in January 2027.

Bartec is helping councils and local authority waste operations prepare now, ensuring your systems, data, and processes are ready well before the deadline.

Key Dates:

Public beta: already underway
Mandatory go-live: October 2026 (England, NI, Wales)
Mandatory go-live: January 2027 (Scotland)

What Is Digital Waste Tracking?

Digital Waste Tracking (DWT) is DEFRA’s initiative to replace paper-based waste transfer documentation with a single, transparent digital system covering all waste movements in the UK.

Rather than relying on paper waste transfer notes that can be lost, falsified, or delayed, every waste movement will be logged electronically and submitted to a central government platform in near real-time, closing the gaps that have allowed illegal dumping and waste crime to persist.

Why It Matters for Councils:

Replaces outdated paper Waste Transfer Notes
Creates a transparent, auditable record of every waste movement
Supports DEFRA’s wider Waste
Crime Action Plan
Reduces administrative burden once systems are properly integrated
Strengthens compliance evidence for regulatory inspection

Who Needs to Comply in Phase 1?

As part of Phase 1, receivers of domestic and commercial waste are required to log data into the Digital Waste Tracking system, not carriers. If your council operates or manages a licensed waste receiving facility, this applies to you now.

Phase 1 Covers:

Household waste
Street cleaning waste
Commercial waste
HWRC waste (commercial waste only)

Who Must Submit Data:

Anyone who receives waste at a licensed facility will need to submit data to the Digital Waste Tracking service. This includes transfer stations, recycling facilities, materials recovery facilities, and household waste recycling centres accepting commercial waste.

Submission Deadline: Data must be submitted by the end of the 2nd day after transfer.

Note: Waste carriers, brokers and dealers join the mandate in a later phase, expected from October 2027. However, councils operating receiving sites should not wait as Phase 1 obligations apply from October 2026.

How Does Submission Work?

Understanding the submission process helps your council plan the right systems and workflows ahead of the deadline.

Step 1 - Waste Carrier Transfers to the Receiver: The waste movement begins when a carrier delivers waste to your licensed receiving facility.
Step 2 - Transfer Is Recorded: The transfer is captured via in-cab technology, your back-office system, or synced automatically from other connected systems, minimising manual data entry.
Step 3 - Data Is Reviewed and Submitted: Records are reviewed and submitted either manually or automatically, based on your internal processes and the submission deadline.
Step 4 - Data Is Pushed to DEFRA: Submission data is transmitted to the DEFRA system via API. Other transfer methods are also available for councils not yet ready for full API integration.
Step 5 - Confirmation Received: You'll receive confirmation of successful submission, including a reference number that allows you to make edits to the record later if needed.

What Data Will Councils Need to Provide?

Preparing your data now will make the transition to mandatory reporting significantly smoother. DEFRA requires the following core information for every waste movement:

Required Data Fields:

Date and time of transfer
Waste carrier details
Receiving facility details
Waste information, including EWC (European Waste Catalogue) code
Container type and quantity
Weight

Additional Fields Available:

Hazardous waste indicators
Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) data

Getting your EWC codes and facility records accurate and complete now will prevent compliance gaps when the system becomes mandatory.

Preparing Your Council for Digital Waste Tracking

The window between now and October 2026 is the best opportunity to prepare without pressure. Here’s what councils should be doing today:

1. Understand Your Phase 1 Responsibilities

Confirm whether your council operates a licensed waste receiving site. If so, your obligations begin in October 2026, not 2027.

2. Register with the DWT Service

Registration for local authorities is not yet open, but councils should monitor DEFRA’s rollout closely and prepare to register as soon as the service opens.

3. Set Up EWC Codes Correctly

Ensure European Waste Catalogue codes are accurately assigned across all your waste streams. Incomplete or incorrect coding is one of the most common compliance gaps identified during preparation.

4. Establish Disposal Site Records

Set up clear records for every disposal site alongside your recovery and disposal routes, ensuring your data structure matches DEFRA’s reporting requirements.

5. Check Waste Carrier Licence Information

Confirm that licence information is readily available and up to date for all relevant carriers your council works with.

6. Talk to Bartec About Your Transition

Get in touch with our team to see how we can support your transition to Digital Waste Tracking, from data structuring through to system integration and submission.

Why Prepare with Bartec?

Bartec Municipal Technologies has supported UK councils with waste management software and compliance for over 25 years.

As Digital Waste Tracking becomes mandatory, we’re helping local authorities:

Structure and clean existing waste data ahead of the deadline
Ensure EWC codes and facility records meet DWT requirements
Prepare systems for API-based submission to DEFRA
Reduce the administrative burden of new reporting obligations
Avoid last-minute compliance scrambles as the deadline approaches

Digital Waste Tracking with Collective

Collective already holds your waste transfer data. It will automatically compile and submit the required information to the DWT API on your behalf with no manual data entry needed.

Failure to submit accurate digital records will be a legal offence under the new regulations. Collective’s automated submission removes this compliance risk.

Don’t wait until October 2026 to start preparing. Early action means smoother data migration, fewer compliance risks, and more time to test your processes before submissions become mandatory.

Get Ready for Digital Waste Tracking

The October 2026 deadline is approaching. Ensure your council’s waste data, EWC codes, and systems are ready well ahead of time.

Contact our team today to discuss how Bartec can support your transition to Digital Waste Tracking compliance.

Frequently Asked Questions

When does Digital Waste Tracking become mandatory?

Digital Waste Tracking becomes mandatory for permitted waste receiving sites in England, Northern Ireland, and Wales from October 2026. Scotland follows from January 2027. Beta testing is already underway ahead of the full rollout.

Does Digital Waste Tracking affect all councils?

It affects any council that operates or manages a licensed waste receiving facility, including transfer stations, recycling facilities, and HWRCs accepting commercial waste. Phase 1 covers receivers of waste, but waste carriers, brokers and dealers are expected to join in a later phase.

What happens if we don't comply?

Non-compliance with mandatory Digital Waste Tracking requirements is likely to carry regulatory consequences, in line with DEFRA’s broader waste duty of care legislation. Full enforcement details should be confirmed directly via DEFRA’s official guidance as the mandate approaches.

Can we register for Digital Waste Tracking now?

Registration for the DWT service is not yet open to local authorities. Councils should monitor DEFRA’s updates closely and use the time before mandatory registration opens to prepare data, EWC codes, and internal processes.

What technology do we need to submit data?

Data can be submitted to DEFRA via API integration from in-cab technology or back-office systems, through synced third-party software, or via other supported transfer methods. Councils should confirm with their software provider how submissions will be handled ahead of the deadline.

How long do we have to submit data after a waste transfer?

Submissions must be made by the end of the second day after the transfer takes place.

Why should I choose Bartec?

Collective already holds all your waste transfer data and it will automatically compile and submit the required information to the DWT API on your behalf. This means that no manual data entry is needed, freeing up your team to focus on waste management.

Digital Waste Tracking

Prepare Your Council for DEFRA's Mandatory Digital Waste Tracking Service

What Is Digital Waste Tracking?

Who Needs to Comply in Phase 1?

How Does Submission Work?

What Data Will Councils Need to Provide?

Preparing Your Council for Digital Waste Tracking

Why Prepare with Bartec?

Digital Waste Tracking with Collective

Get Ready for Digital Waste Tracking

Frequently Asked Questions

Case Studies

South Ayrshire Council

Havant Borough Council

Cheshire West Recycling

West Suffolk Councils

Thurrock Council

Tamworth and Lichfield Joint Service

Reigate and Banstead Borough Council

Oxford City Council

Guildford Borough Council

Durham County Council

Dorset Council

Chichester District Council

Cardiff Council

Bath and North East Somerset

Amber Valley

Aberdeen City Council

Adur and Worthing Councils

Exeter City Council

Let’s get started, book a call with us today!

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