The four UK governments and environment agencies are working together on a project to develop a UK-wide digital waste tracking service to capture information on the movement of waste.

A four-nation consultation on the ‘Introduction of mandatory digital waste tracking’ has just been launched and you are encouraged to find out more and provide your views. 

Louise Peel, Lead Specialist Advisor for Natural Resources Wales said: ‘’A digital waste tracking service will have multiple benefits, including helping to tackle waste crime opportunities, such as fly-tipping. The service will also support our move to a more circular economy and will help make more informed decisions about waste policy in Wales and waste infrastructure through having a complete picture of what waste is being generated and where it’s ending up’’. 

NRW and Welsh Government want to know what you think about the proposals to introduce mandatory digital waste tracking, to help us tackle waste crime like flytipping and illegal exports and make more use of our waste.

  • Over 200 million tonnes of waste is produced in the UK each year but there is currently no central way of tracking it,
  • This gives criminals opportunities to dispose of waste illegally – impacting on both people and the environment
  • Many businesses also make new products out of waste materials – waste tracking could provide more opportunities for this to happen and for businesses to use the products made from waste instead of raw materials

The consultation closes on the 15th April 2022. Give us your views here.  

The development of the IT service is already underway and is being supported by a user panel of around 1200 members representing waste producers, carriers, brokers, dealers, waste site operators, local authorities, and regulators from across the UK.  Members of this panel help to develop the service by participating in user research and testing.
If you’d like to join our user panel you can sign up here.     

We also produce regular newsletters about the progress of the waste tracking service development - if you’d like to join the mailing list for these newsletters you can do so here.