Digital Waste Tracking Wales: What Waste Businesses Need to Know
Digital waste tracking Wales rules follow the UK-wide service but with their own dates and regulator. Mandatory for permitted receiving sites from 1 October 2026 under the Digital Waste Tracking (Wales) Regulations 2026; HWRCs are out of scope. Here's what that means for your business and how a bespoke app makes compliance simple.
Digital Waste Tracking Wales: Key Dates
Digital waste tracking in Wales became mandatory on 1 October 2026 for operators of permitted waste receiving sites, under The Digital Waste Tracking (Wales) Regulations 2026, agreed by the Senedd on 24 March 2026.
The service is called Report receipt of waste. You'll use it, or software connected to it, to report every load of controlled waste you receive within 2 working days, excluding weekends and Wales bank holidays, starting from the day after the waste arrives.
The temporary spreadsheet route is expected to remain until at least October 2027, after which an API connection through software is expected to be needed.
Who Must Comply in Wales
In Wales, Phase 1 applies to operators of permitted waste receiving sites, such as transfer stations, treatment and recycling facilities, landfills and metal recycling yards.
One important difference from England: household waste recycling centres (HWRCs) are not in scope in Wales.
You must enter specified information about each load of controlled waste you receive into the UK-wide digital waste tracking system.
Your Regulator and Where to Get Help
In Wales, Natural Resources Wales (NRW) enforces the regulations. The Welsh Government's guidance confirms that an API is the primary way to submit data, with a temporary spreadsheet for businesses without software, expected until October 2027.
Help is available from:
Natural Resources Wales
guidance on recording the waste you receive
Welsh Government
information on mandatory digital waste tracking
Business Wales
support for waste legislation
The digital waste tracking helpline
listed on GOV.UK
The service costs £26 a year per organisation, with the first payment due by 31 January 2027.
Phase 2: Carriers, Brokers and Dealers
Phase 1 only covers sites that receive waste. Phase 2 is planned to bring in waste carriers, brokers and dealers, the much larger group of businesses that collect and move waste. Defra's plan is a private beta from autumn 2026, a public beta in spring 2027 and mandatory use from October 2027.
Waste exemptions and green list waste exports and imports are expected in later phases.
Bespoke Apps for Wales Waste Businesses
We build bespoke apps for waste businesses in Wales that capture each load once, create digital waste transfer notes and submit to Defra automatically, with deadlines calculated using Wales bank holidays.
If you'd like your customer communications in Welsh, we can build your app and customer-facing messages to support both Welsh and English.
Your app can also run the rest of your business: customers, routes, dispatch, drivers, live tracking and invoicing, all in one system built around how you work.
Frequently Asked Questions
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