How to Register for Digital Waste Tracking: Step by Step
To register for digital waste tracking you set up a Defra account for your organisation using Government Gateway or GOV.UK One Login, add your sites, pay the annual fee and generate an API code for your software provider. Here's each step, with the details you'll need to hand.
Last reviewed: 16 October 2026
How to Register for Digital Waste Tracking in 5 Steps
To register for digital waste tracking, you: 1) sign in with Government Gateway or GOV.UK One Login, 2) set up your organisation's account, 3) add your sites, 4) pay the annual government fee, and 5) generate an API code to share with your software provider. Each step is quick on its own, but having the right details ready first avoids getting stuck partway through.
What You Need Before You Start
Have your organisation details to hand, including which sites need to report, and decide early whether you'll submit by API through software or use Defra's temporary spreadsheet. If you're going the API route, you'll also want to know which software provider is connecting on your behalf, since you'll need to share your API code with them once it's generated.
Getting Your API Code
Once your account and sites are set up, you can generate an API code from within your digital waste tracking account. This code is what links your chosen software, such as a bespoke app connected to the Receipt of Waste API, to your organisation's Defra record, so submissions are tied to the right account automatically.
Paying the Annual Fee
Digital waste tracking carries a £26 per year fee per organisation, which covers all of that organisation's sites rather than being charged per site. First payment is due by 31 January 2027. Pay this through your Defra account; it's a government fee and separate from any cost for the software you use to report.
Common Registration Problems
Most registration hold-ups come down to a few things: using the wrong login (mixing up Government Gateway and One Login details across a team), not having the right person with authority to set up the organisation account, or trying to generate an API code before sites have been fully added.
If you get stuck, Defra's digital waste tracking helpline can help with account-specific issues. For help getting your software connected once your account and API code are ready, get a free readiness check or see our digital waste tracking overview.
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