ScrapSignal / Digital Waste Tracking
Digital Waste Tracking requirements: October 2026
Current summary for England and Wales · Updated September 2026
Defra says permitted or licensed waste receiving sites in England and Wales will be required to record details of the waste they receive using the Digital Waste Tracking service from October 2026. Scotland and Northern Ireland follow in January 2027.
Who is in the first phase?
The first mandatory phase focuses on sites that are required to hold a permit or licence to receive waste. Defra describes this as the foundation of a wider service that will later extend to other parts of the waste chain.
How is data submitted?
Defra currently supports two preparation routes for receiving sites: integration through the receipt-of-waste API, normally via internal or third-party software, or the prescribed spreadsheet upload route.
If you use commercial software
Defra says DWT-compatible software must integrate with the receipt-of-waste API and pass its production approval tests. Check the current government provider information rather than relying solely on a supplier's marketing claim.
Start with the official guidance
Defra Digital Waste Tracking service guidance →
Why is ScrapSignal tracking this?
DWT creates a time-sensitive commercial market around thousands of regulated waste sites. ScrapSignal is designed for suppliers selling into that market: it monitors authoritative public sources for events that can help prioritise which operator has a reason to talk now.
This page is a research summary, not legal or regulatory advice. Requirements can change; use the linked government guidance for compliance decisions.