On 1 October 2026, reporting every load to the Digital Waste Tracking Service becomes mandatory for permitted and licensed receiving sites in England and Wales. Sites in Scotland and Northern Ireland follow in January 2027.
With weeks rather than months to go, here is a checklist for the final stretch.
Access and accounts
- Your organisation is registered with the service and the right people have access.
- Your software provider is connected to the live service, not just the test environment.
- You know who on site is responsible for checking submissions each day.
Data at the gate
- Every material the site accepts has the correct EWC code set up.
- Haulier and carrier registration details are verified and current.
- Customer and supplier records include the origin details a receipt needs.
- Gate staff know which fields are now mandatory and why.
Submissions
- You have sent test receipts covering your real load types, including hazardous waste and anything unusual.
- You know how rejected submissions are reported to you and who fixes them.
- You know how to correct a receipt that has already been accepted.
- Receipts will be reported within two working days, including over weekends and bank holidays.
What does not change
- Staff know waste transfer notes, consignment notes and Annex VII forms still have to be completed.
- Your permit returns continue as before.
After go-live
- Someone checks the first week’s submissions daily.
- Problems found in the first weeks are fed back into gate procedures, not just fixed one by one.
If several of these are still open, prioritise the gate data and the error-handling process. Those are the parts that are hardest to put right once reporting is under way.
For a broader planning guide, see how to prepare for digital waste tracking.
Sentinel submits each receipt from the same record that produces the waste transfer note. If you need help with the final weeks, get in touch.