ComplyWaste guides
Waste compliance, in plain English
Straight answers on Digital Waste Tracking, waste transfer notes, EWC codes and duty of care — with the October 2026 and 2027 deadlines explained properly.
Digital Waste Tracking
- Digital Waste Tracking: what it is and when it startsDigital Waste Tracking (DWT) becomes mandatory for waste receivers in October 2026 and carriers in October 2027. Here's what it is and how to prepare.
- Carrier vs receiver: who must use Digital Waste Tracking, and whenWaste receivers must use Digital Waste Tracking from October 2026; waste carriers from October 2027. Here's how to tell which you are — and what to do if you're both.
- What is 'Receipt of Waste'? The DWT receiver requirement explainedA Receipt of Waste is a waste receiver's record of a load arriving at their permitted site, submitted to Digital Waste Tracking. Mandatory from October 2026.
- Digital Waste Tracking readiness checklist: is your site ready for October 2026?A practical, step-by-step Digital Waste Tracking readiness checklist for permitted receiving sites ahead of the October 2026 deadline. The service is already live in public beta.
Waste Transfer Notes
- Do I need a waste transfer note?Yes — if your business produces, carries or receives non-hazardous waste and it changes hands, a waste transfer note is legally required. Here's when and why.
- How to complete a waste transfer note (with a checklist)A field-by-field guide to filling in a waste transfer note correctly: EWC code, SIC code, quantity, carrier registration, addresses, the waste hierarchy declaration and both signatures.
- How long do you need to keep a waste transfer note?You must keep a waste transfer note for at least 2 years, and a hazardous waste consignment note for at least 3 years, from the date of transfer.
- Are digital (electronic) waste transfer notes legal?Yes — electronic waste transfer notes are fully legal in the UK. No paper or wet-ink signature is required. Here's what makes a digital WTN valid.
Licensing & compliance
- Waste duty of care: what it means and how to complyThe waste duty of care (section 34 Environmental Protection Act 1990) applies to every business that deals with waste. Here's what it requires and how to comply.
- Waste carrier registration: upper vs lower tier explainedWho must register as a waste carrier, broker or dealer in the UK, and the difference between upper tier (fee, 3-year renewal) and lower tier (free, no renewal).
- Hazardous waste consignment notes explainedA hazardous waste consignment note is the hazardous-waste version of a transfer note. You must keep it for at least 3 years. Here's who completes it and when.
- Waste returns explained: quarterly reporting for permitted sitesPermitted waste sites must submit periodic waste returns to their regulator — usually quarterly — reporting waste received and how it was recovered or disposed of.
- Waste tracking and duty of care across the UK: England, Scotland, Wales & Northern IrelandWaste regulation is devolved, so the regulator you deal with depends on your nation. Digital Waste Tracking is UK-wide with the same headline dates.
Software
- Digital waste transfer note softwareDigital waste transfer note software lets drivers capture a compliant WTN on-site — offline, signed, GPS-stamped — and auto-emails a branded PDF. ComplyWaste from £39/mo.
- Offline waste transfer note app: capture WTNs with no signalAn offline waste transfer note app saves a complete, signed, legal WTN with no signal — the phone is the source of truth and it syncs when you're back. ComplyWaste from £39/mo.
- Best waste transfer note apps compared (2026)An honest, segmented comparison of the best waste transfer note apps in 2026 — ComplyWaste, QuickWasteNote, Wastrio, WasteBolt, PaperRoute and DigitalWTN — by who each one suits.
By industry
- Digital waste transfer notes for skip hire companiesSkip hire firms are upper-tier carriers and often run a transfer station too. Here are your WTN duties, the EWC codes you carry, and how a digital WTN app helps. From £39/mo.
- Digital waste transfer notes for construction and demolitionConstruction & demolition waste duties, C&D EWC codes, and why builders carrying their own waste need upper-tier carrier registration. Digital WTNs on-site with ComplyWaste from £39/mo.
- Digital waste transfer notes for house & office clearanceHouse, office & estate clearance firms are usually upper-tier carriers and must issue waste transfer notes. See the common EWC codes, POPs rules and how digital WTNs help.
- Digital waste transfer notes for grab hireGrab-hire and muckaway operators are upper-tier carriers moving C&D waste. Here's how digital waste transfer notes handle EWC codes, hazardous soil and fast on-site loading.
- Digital waste transfer notes for scrap metal dealersHow scrap metal dealers handle waste transfer notes, EWC codes and hazardous consignment notes — plus why you need a carrier registration AND a scrap metal dealer licence.
- Digital compliance for hazardous waste carriersHazardous waste uses a consignment note, not a WTN — kept 3 years, with a consignment code and HP codes. See how digital software gets it right roadside. ComplyWaste from £39/mo.