Phase two of Digital Waste Tracking will commence this year, with a staged rollout designed to gradually expand the scope of the service across the waste supply chain.
According to the updated timetable, phase two will begin with a private beta in autumn 2026, allowing a limited number of invited operators and software providers to start using the DWT service.
This will be followed by a public beta in spring 2027, when all operators will be able to use the system on a voluntary basis.
The mandatory rollout for phase two is scheduled for October 2027, at which point reporting through Digital Waste Tracking will become compulsory for all operators within scope.
This phase will primarily affect those arranging waste movements and transporting waste, including carriers, brokers and dealers, as well as waste exporters.
Phase one rollout underway
Phase one of Digital Waste Tracking is already underway and applies to waste received at permitted facilities carrying out a waste activity.
A private beta testing phase is currently live, with participating operators trialling the new digital system.
The service will be opened up to all operators on a voluntary basis from April 2026, when phase one enters its public beta stage.
From October 2026, these sites will be required to record all waste movements digitally through the DWT service.
Mandatory Digital Waste Tracking
Mandatory Digital Waste Tracking was first announced as part of the government’s 2018 Resources and Waste Strategy, which set out plans to “provide a comprehensive way to see what is happening to the waste produced in the UK”.
The programme aims to replace existing fragmented paper-based systems with a single, UK-wide digital service for tracking waste movements online.
Once fully implemented, it is intended to improve transparency, reduce waste crime, and provide regulators and policymakers with better data on how waste is produced, managed and treated.
Find out more about Digital Waste Tracking, alongside other compliance, logistics, and trade opportunities in waste exports, at the Waste Exports Conference on 28 April 2026 in London.
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