From October 2026, receiving sites in England and Wales will report every load they accept to the Digital Waste Tracking Service. Much of the information is familiar from waste transfer notes and consignment notes. What changes is that it must be complete, consistent and submitted within two working days of receipt.

Here is the kind of information a receipt record holds, and where it typically comes from. Defra’s guidance and API documentation set out the exact requirements, so use them as the definitive reference.

About the waste

  • Waste classification — the EWC code or codes for the load, and a description of the waste.
  • Quantity — usually the net weight from the weighbridge, or an estimate where the load is not weighed.
  • Hazardous properties — for hazardous waste, the relevant details from the consignment note.
  • Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) — whether the waste contains them, where that applies.

About the movement

  • Date and time of receipt.
  • Carrier details — including the carrier’s registration and the vehicle.
  • Where the waste came from — the producer or holder, and the site it came from.

About the receiving site

  • Your site’s permit or licence details.
  • What happens to the waste — the disposal or recovery operation it is received for.

Where the data comes from

On most sites this information already exists, but it is spread across several places: the weighbridge ticket, the haulier’s paperwork, the customer account, the site’s permit. The practical challenge is bringing it together accurately for every load.

That is why the gate matters. The weighbridge operator sees the vehicle, the paperwork and the load. If the record is completed there, against verified haulier and customer details held in the system, most of the receipt is already right before anyone sends it anywhere.

Common gaps to check now

  • EWC codes chosen from memory rather than from a controlled list for each material.
  • Haulier registration details that are not checked or kept up to date.
  • Loads without a clear origin recorded.
  • Weights adjusted after the event without a record of why.

Fixing these before October is far easier than fixing them while the reporting clock is running.

For the wider compliance benefits, read how real-time waste traceability reduces compliance risk.

Sentinel records each load at the gate against verified haulier, customer and material details. If you’d like to see how it captures the data a receipt needs, get in touch.