Mandatory Digital Waste Tracking was first proposed in 2018 under the Resources and Waste Strategy and this week, after nearly a decade in the works, the necessary legislation has been laid in Parliament to get it underway.
The Environmental Services Association welcomes this significant milestone, which marks an important step forward to tackle waste crime – improving transparency and accountability across the sector, while also stream-lining outdated paper-based systems that have left the door open for criminals to exploit.
The new system will require businesses to create a real-time digital audit trail for the waste they produce, handle and manage. From October 2026, the first phase will apply to around 12,000 permitted waste sites, with more than 100,000 operators eventually coming within scope across the UK.
On 27th May, the ESA will be hosting a webinar on digital waste tracking to help organisations across the sector understand the impacts of Digital Waste Tracking for their business and the latest policy developments. You can register to attend this webinar for free here
Prior to October, starting on 28th April, Defra will open a “beta test” phase allowing operators and software developers the opportunity to trial the system and provide valuable feedback and refinement prior to full implementation. More details about how to participate can be found here
Responding to the announcement, ESA Executive Director, Jacob Hayler, said: “Today marks a significant milestone of progress towards implementing Digital Waste Tracking, which is another important weapon in the arsenal needed to fight waste crime.
Implemented successfully, Digital Waste Tracking should make it easier for waste producers to be sure that they are dealing with legitimate operators, while also providing useful and timely data to regulators to help them crack down on cowboys.
ESA urges operators across the industry to engage with the beta testing phase, and we look forward to working with Government to refine and successfully roll out the process ahead of mandatory adoption later this year.”
You can read more about the announcement here
In March 2026, Defra announced its Waste Crime Action Plan setting out measures for regulatory reform and to bolster enforcement efforts.
