Defra has opened registration for councils that operate, manage or are responsible for waste sites.
Phase one of DWT is due to go live in October 2026 in England and Wales, with Scotland and Northern Ireland following in January 2027.
However, the scope of reporting requirements differs between the four nations. In England, all waste received at permitted sites must be recorded, with the exception of household waste deposits from residents at permitted household waste recycling centres (HWRCs).
For local authorities, only sites in England handling commercial waste are currently within the reporting scope. HWRCs in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland will be brought into the system in future phases.
DWT is intended to replace existing paper-based waste tracking arrangements with a single digital system, improving the visibility of waste movements and providing regulators with better data to tackle waste crime.
Gareth Rollings, LARAC Chair, commented: “Whilst it’s taken longer than we would have liked, it’s good news that local authorities can now engage with the platform ahead of the system going live from October.
“Authorities can now see what is required of them from the system and focus on the logistical challenges that Digital Waste Tracking will create in being able to report waste movements within 48 hours.”
Registration encouraged before October
Defra is encouraging local authorities to register ahead of the mandatory reporting dates.
Early registration will allow councils to set up their organisation’s “Report receipt of waste” service account, assign users and permissions, and establish reporting arrangements where sites are operated by contractors.
It will also give staff an opportunity to familiarise themselves with the service and ensure councils are prepared to submit data once mandatory reporting begins.
Authorities are being advised to review reporting responsibilities across their sites and contractors and consider which submission route they will use, including software integrations where applicable.
The government has previously said that phase one of DWT will offer different routes for submitting data, including direct integration through an API for operators using waste management software and a spreadsheet option.
Defra said that “existing waste recording obligations remain in place”, meaning local authorities should continue to comply with current requirements while preparing for the transition to DWT.
Councils that participated in the DWT private beta will also need to register again ahead of the mandatory implementation dates.
Digital Waste Tracking rollout
The opening of registration comes ahead of the wider phase one rollout.
The voluntary public beta for phase one opened in April, allowing permitted waste receiving sites and software developers to test the service before mandatory reporting begins.
From October, sites within scope will be required to record waste movements through DWT.
Phase two, covering a wider range of participants including waste carriers, brokers, dealers and exporters, is scheduled for mandatory implementation in October 2027.
A private beta for this phase is expected to begin in autumn 2026, followed by a public beta in spring 2027.
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