Digital Waste Tracking Outage: What to Do If the Service Is Down
If there's a digital waste tracking outage, you must still make and keep a written record of each load within 2 working days, then transfer it to the service within 7 working days of the outage being resolved. A well-built app queues records automatically so nothing is missed.
Last reviewed: 16 October 2026
Digital Waste Tracking Outage Rules
Any online service can go down. Defra has set out what receiving sites must do if the digital waste tracking service, or a connection to it, is unavailable:
- 01
Keep recording.
You still need a record of every load received.
- 02
Make a written record
of each load within the normal 2 working days from the day after it was received, with all the required information.
- 03
Transfer the records
to the service within 7 working days, starting the day after the outage is resolved.
You can't simply skip reporting because the service was down. The obligation to record each load stays in place.
Your Written Record Requirements
Your written record must contain all the information you'd normally submit, including:
who carried the waste
and the vehicle
where it came from
a description and EWC code
for each waste
the quantity
disposal or recovery codes
hazardous and POPs details
where they apply
"Written" doesn't have to mean pen and paper. A record stored in your own software counts, as long as it's complete and made within the deadline. Keep evidence of when the outage started and ended.
Submitting After the Service Returns
When the service is back, submit your stored records within 7 working days. With paper records, someone has to type them all in. With software, records can be submitted automatically in the right order. Check for rejections and fix them promptly.
If an outage affects only your own systems, for example your internet connection or software, the same principle applies: record the load, then submit as soon as you can.
How Offline-Ready Apps Help
Outages are where a good app pays for itself. Our apps:
Save every record locally
when the connection or the Defra service is unavailable
Keep a complete, timestamped record
that meets the written record requirement
Retry automatically
when the service returns
Avoid duplicates
if a submission is retried
Show you what's queued
and when it was sent
Drivers in poor-signal areas benefit in the same way: collections are saved on the phone and synced later. See our offline mode feature.
Frequently Asked Questions
Related
Official guidance
We don't sell boxes of software. We build the app your business actually needs.
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