If you run a permitted site that takes waste in, Digital Waste Tracking (DWT) lands on you first. Here is your whole situation in one place.
Your deadline
Mandatory from 1 October 2026 in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and from 1 January 2027 in Scotland. This is Phase 1.
Your duty
You create the digital record and generate the tracking ID for every load you receive, and you pay the 26 pounds charge per legal entity, per year. The record covers what the waste is, where it came from and who carried it, and where it is going next.
What to do now
Register for the public beta and test before the deadline
Get your DEFRA API code and connect it
Review how you capture data at the gate and train your operatives
Build a process for spotting POPs and hazardous waste
How LoadSnap handles it for you
The weighbridge flow captures each receipt and files it straight to DEFRA, and carrier licences are checked against the Environment Agency register at the gate. Setting your site up and getting your operatives ready takes minutes.
Related: What DEFRA Phase 1 covers. The receiver workflow. Receiving sites. Operatives and your team. What you must record under Digital Waste Tracking.