DWTS Compliance for UK Waste Sites
Everything you need to know about DEFRA's Digital Waste Tracking Service, now live for waste receiving sites in England and Wales.
Listed on GOV.UK as a compatible software provider Get Started FreeHow to comply with DWTS
DEFRA waste tracking adds a digital record on top of the paper waste transfer note: since 1 October 2026, permitted receiving sites record every load digitally, and paper notes continue for now.
If your site is a permitted waste receiving site in England or Wales, you must comply with the Digital Waste Tracking Service, live since 1 October 2026 (January 2027 in Scotland and Northern Ireland). To comply you need to: register with DEFRA's DWTS to get your API credentials, choose a submission method (API via compatible software or spreadsheet upload), start recording and submitting waste receipt data within two working days of receiving each load, and pay the £26 per legal entity annual service fee. If you use software to submit, check that it is on GOV.UK's list of compatible software providers. LoadLog is listed on GOV.UK as a compatible software provider for the report receipt of waste service, and connects to the DWTS API automatically to handle the entire submission workflow.
What is the Digital Waste Tracking Service?
The Digital Waste Tracking Service (DWTS) is DEFRA's replacement for the paper Waste Transfer Note and the paper Hazardous Waste Consignment Note. Under Section 58 of the Environment Act 2021, waste movements across the UK are being moved onto a single digital system, rather than recorded on paper forms kept on site or in a filing cabinet.
DWTS sits within the government's wider Resources and Waste Strategy, first set out in 2018, which aims to tackle waste crime, improve recycling rates and build a more circular economy. By digitising the waste tracking process, the government and the Environment Agency expect to reduce illegal waste activity, currently estimated to cost the UK economy around £1 billion a year, and to give regulators a clearer, real-time picture of where waste actually ends up, including the ability to check a load's status at the roadside.
Who is affected, and when
The mandate is being introduced in two phases, and it matters which one applies to your organisation.
Phase 1 - from October 2026 (England, Wales) / January 2027 (Scotland, Northern Ireland)
Every permitted waste receiving site must record incoming waste digitally within two working days of each load arriving. This includes:
- Waste transfer stations
- Materials recovery facilities
- Recycling and recovery facilities
- Landfill sites
- Treatment plants, anaerobic digestion sites and composting sites
- Household waste recycling centres, for the commercial waste they accept
Phase 2 - from October 2027 across the UK
Waste carriers, brokers and dealers must digitally initiate a waste movement record at the point of collection. DEFRA has not yet confirmed the full Phase 2 timeline. The carrier, broker and dealer mandate is expected from October 2027.
If your site holds an environmental permit or waste management licence and receives waste from carriers, Phase 1 already applies to you. LoadLog is built for exactly this group. Waste producers, the businesses that generate waste in the first place, aren't yet within scope of either phase, though that's expected to change in a future phase as the rollout continues.
What you need to record
Every digital Waste Transfer Note needs to capture the same core information DEFRA has always required, just submitted electronically instead of on paper:
- A description of the waste and its European Waste Catalogue (EWC) code
- The quantity of waste, usually by weight
- The vehicle registration used to transport it
- The carrier's registration number and details
- The producer and receiving site details
- The date and time of transfer, plus signatures from everyone involved
You can try the free waste transfer note generator to see the fields a note needs, without an account.
Our data entry sheets fully support standard waste transfers, hazardous waste consignment notes and entries for persistent organic pollutants (POPs). The application matches the exact rules set by environmental regulators so your documentation remains valid during site inspections.
DWTS regulations UK: the legislative timeline
Sites in Scotland and Northern Ireland start in January 2027. Each nation has a page with its setup steps: Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales.
Penalties for non-compliance
Non-compliance carries real costs, and the Environment Agency has the powers to act quickly once DWTS makes a missing record easy to spot. The Digital Waste Tracking (England) Regulations 2026 set a fixed monetary penalty of £1,000 per breach, rising by 50% if it is not paid after final notice. For serious or repeated breaches, the Environment Agency can issue an uncapped variable monetary penalty, set by weighing the environmental impact, the financial benefit from non-compliance, and culpability. The most serious cases can lead to criminal prosecution under the Environmental Permitting Regulations, and your environmental permit can be suspended or revoked while an investigation is ongoing, which in practice can mean your site can't legally operate at all.
How LoadLog helps you comply
LoadLog is purpose-built for DWTS compliance. The platform handles the complexity so you can focus on running your site:
Direct DEFRA API integration
Submit WTNs directly to the government's digital service with one tap, with automatic retry if a submission fails.
Environment Agency audit pre-check
The data entry form validates your fields against the official schema before submission. It highlights errors or missing entries with clear colour labels to give you confidence that your data is correct before it reaches the government database.
Real-time status tracking
Know exactly when each WTN has been accepted by DEFRA.
Complete audit trail
Every action, edit and submission is logged with a timestamp, ready for an Environment Agency inspection.
Digital signatures
Legally compliant e-signatures captured on-site, removing paper from the process entirely.
Automated record keeping
PDF copies of every WTN stored securely for your required retention period.
Sandbox testing
Trial your full workflow against DEFRA's test environment before you submit a single live record.
Reusable load templates
Save the loads you handle regularly as templates, or copy a ready-made one from the sample library. Repeat entries take seconds.
Bulk entry and import
Type or paste a day of loads into the bulk entry grid, or import existing records from a CSV. Check the preview, then submit the batch to DEFRA in one go. Column mappings are remembered for next time.
Carrier hub for your own vehicles
If you also carry waste, the same account keeps your permit or exemption, drivers, vehicles and documents, with the dates that apply to your registration. It is free on every plan.
You can see the full workflow on the waste transfer note software page, or see how the DWTS side works on the digital waste tracking software page. Both start free, with paid plans from £12 a month.
Compliance FAQ
What's an EWC code?
Do I still need to keep paper records?
Does this apply if I only operate in Scotland or Wales?
Is DWTS the same as a Waste Transfer Note?
How do I register with DEFRA to get an API code?
Can I import my existing records into LoadLog?
Official guidance
For the most up to date information on the Digital Waste Tracking Service, including registration requirements and technical specifications, visit DEFRA's official guidance.
DEFRA Digital Waste Tracking ServiceRelated guides
Two working days to record a load
Where the two working day window starts, how weekends and bank holidays change it, and what to do when a send fails.
Your first waste tracking submission
Register, connect the API code and send a first note, end to end.
Waste transfer note software
How LoadLog records, validates and submits every WTN to DEFRA, with carrier checks and digital signatures.
Digital waste tracking software
What to look for in DWTS software, and how LoadLog connects to the DEFRA API.
Data processing and sub-processors
Who is the controller, which sub-processors we use, where your data is stored, and how to get a DPA.
The October 2026 DWTS deadline
The full regulatory timeline and immediate steps required for permitted waste receiving sites.
How much does DWTS cost?
A complete breakdown of government fees and compliance software costs.
What is a Waste Transfer Note?
A practical guide to WTNs: legal retention periods, mandatory fields, and current compliance rules.
EWC codes for Waste Transfer Notes: a complete guide
A practical guide to European Waste Catalogue codes required on every WTN, plus common mistakes to avoid.
DWTS software comparison
How LoadLog compares to manual DEFRA spreadsheets and legacy waste management systems.
Who needs DWTS compliance?
A clear breakdown of which waste sector roles fall into Phase 1 and Phase 2.
DWTS compliance checklist
A practical 10-step roadmap to get your operational team and site infrastructure fully compliant.
Electronic waste transfer notes: are they legal?
How digital WTNs work, what the law says, and why electronic signatures carry full legal weight.
DWTS for anaerobic digestion and biomass plants
How to tell whether your AD or biomass plant counts as a waste receiving site under the DWTS.
EA carrier validation: how to check a waste carrier's registration
How to verify a waste carrier's registration against the Environment Agency's public register and why it matters for WTN compliance.
Start recording digitally today
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