Digital Waste Tracking Spreadsheet vs API: Which Should You Use?
The digital waste tracking spreadsheet lets sites without software report loads to Defra, but it's a temporary stop-gap expected to stay only until around October 2027. The API route is Defra's primary method, sending records straight from your software with far less admin and fewer errors.
Last reviewed: 16 October 2026
Digital Waste Tracking Spreadsheet: How It Works
The digital waste tracking spreadsheet is a manual route for reporting waste receipts to Defra. You fill in a template with the required fields, such as EWC code, weight and date received, and upload it to the Report receipt of waste service.
It's there mainly for sites without existing software, or for digitally excluded users who can't connect directly to the API. Every entry still has to be typed in by hand, so it carries the same risks as any manual process: typos, missed entries and someone having to remember to do it every two working days.
The API Route Explained
The Receipt of Waste API is Defra's primary submission method. Software connects directly to the API and sends receipt data automatically as it's captured, whether that's at a weighbridge, a gatehouse or on a driver's phone.
Because the data flows from the point of capture to Defra without manual re-entry, there's far less room for error, and nobody has to remember to log in and fill in a form. This is the route we build into every bespoke app, through our Defra API integration.
Side-by-Side Comparison
Both routes satisfy the reporting requirement, but they work very differently day to day.
| Spreadsheet | Receipt of Waste API | |
|---|---|---|
| Data entry | Manual, typed in per receipt | Automatic, from your existing software |
| Error risk | Higher — typos, missed fields | Lower — captured once at source |
| Ongoing effort | Someone must remember every 2 working days | Runs in the background |
| Availability | Temporary, expected until at least October 2027 | Defra's long-term primary route |
Why the Spreadsheet Is Temporary
The spreadsheet route exists to give businesses without software a way to comply from day one, not as a permanent alternative. Defra expects it to remain available until at least October 2027, giving time for carriers, brokers and dealers coming into scope under Phase 2 to get connected via the API.
Relying on the spreadsheet long-term means carrying manual admin indefinitely, on top of the 2 working day reporting deadline and the separate 7 working day outage rule if the service goes down.
Switching from Spreadsheet to API
Moving from spreadsheet to API reporting means connecting your day-to-day system, whether that's a driver app, gatehouse app or weighbridge software, to Defra's Receipt of Waste API, so the fields it already captures flow straight through.
A bespoke app makes this switch simpler because it's built to capture the right fields from the start: EWC code, weight, date and destination, ready for submission. If you're still on paper or a spreadsheet, book a free readiness check to see what moving to API would involve for your business.
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