Digital Waste Tracking – what farmers need to know

25 September 2026

| 5 minute read

Hands holding a pile of compost

Photograph: Tortoon/Istock

From 1 October 2026, some farm businesses that receive controlled waste will need to record waste movements through the new DWT (Digital Waste Tracking) system. Find out what you need to know.

Digital Waste Tracking explained

DWT is a government-led programme designed to replace many fragmented paper-based waste records with a digital system that will create a clear audit trail showing where waste has come from, who has handled it and where it has been disposed of.

The aim is to provide regulators with better information, make compliance easier for legitimate businesses and help combat waste crime, which is estimated to cost the UK economy around £1 billion annually.

When DWT comes into effect

For England and Wales, phase 1 of the introduction starts 1 October 2026, phase 2 for smaller sites will commence one year later on 1 October 2027. 

Implementation in Scotland and Northern Ireland will follow from January 2027.

At a glance:

  • DWT (Digital Waste Tracking) starts on 1 October 2026.
  • Farms receiving waste from 3rd parties under permits or licences must comply.
  • Records must be submitted within 2 working days.
  • Annual fee: £26 per organisation.

Which farm businesses will be affected

The impact on farmers and growers will vary depending on the type of business and how waste is managed on the farm and DWT will not apply to every farm business.

Many farms produce relatively small quantities of controlled waste, such as plastics, packaging, tyres, oils and chemicals and although they already have legal responsibilities regarding waste handling and disposal, they may see some changes in how records are kept and shared.

Farm businesses operating solely under registered waste exemptions are expected to be less affected during the first phase of implementation.  

However, the most significant impacts will be for any farm operating a permitted or licensed site, including those operating under a mobile plant permit, that receive controlled waste from third parties. These businesses must record every load they receive through the DWT system from 1 October 2026. This is a legal requirement under the new regulations.

These includes some:

  • AD (anaerobic digestion) plants
  • composting operations
  • waste management businesses operating on farms
  • permitted waste-receiving facilities

Similarly to a waste transfer note, these businesses will now need to record information about the waste they receive, digitally. Information will include:

What businesses need to do

  1. Check if your business needs to report the waste you receive on GOV.UK | Digital waste tracking: check if you need to report the waste you receive
  2. If your business is in scope of DWT, you must register for the ‘Report receipt of waste’ service and create a Defra account. 
  3. You must submit records within 2 working days of receiving the waste either by:
    1. Using an API (application programming interface) (see list of compatible software providers) or 
    2. Completing and uploading the spreadsheet template.
  4. Pay a fee of £26 per year for each organisation on your account by 31 January 2027. The charge covers all waste-receiving sites that your business has.

The ‘pros and cons’ of DWT

For farm businesses, potential benefits include:

  • Reduced reliance on paper records.
  • Easier storage and retrieval of waste transfer information.
  • Better evidence of compliance during audits and inspections.  
  • Improved transparency across the waste chain.  
  • More widely, DWT should decrease the likelihood and promote stronger action against illegal waste operators and fly-tippers.

However, businesses may also face additional administrative requirements during the transition to digital reporting. Users of the service may also be subject to service charges under the government’s implementation plans.  

If you are eligible to comply with DWT rules and fail to do so, you could face enforcement notices, fixed or variable monetary penalties and even criminal prosecution.

Further information

The service has a support team if you have any questions or if you are having problems using it.

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This page was first published on 25 September 2026.

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