Can you correct a Receipt of Waste after it has been submitted to Digital Waste Tracking?

Yes. Receipts of Waste are mutable records in Digital Waste Tracking. You can update a submitted receipt through the DWT online portal, a corrected spreadsheet upload, or via connected software using the Receipt of Waste API (a PUT to the existing Waste Tracking ID). The Waste Tracking ID issued on the original submission stays the same; the system replaces the record with the corrected data and stamps it with the update timestamp.

How long do you have to correct an error in a Digital Waste Tracking receipt?

You must correct any error as soon as reasonably practicable and in any event within one month of discovering it. The one-month clock runs from when you became aware of the mistake, not from the original submission date.

What types of errors can be corrected in a Receipt of Waste?

Any field in the receipt can be corrected, including the EWC code, waste description, quantity and unit of measurement, container type, carrier details and carrier registration number, hazardous or POPs classification, and the disposal or recovery code (R or D code). If the waste was rejected on arrival, the record should be updated to reflect that fact.

Do I have to tell my regulator when I correct a Digital Waste Tracking receipt?

There is no general duty to notify your regulator every time you correct a minor error. However, if the error was significant — for example, waste classified as non-hazardous that should have been hazardous, or a large quantity discrepancy — it is good practice to notify the Environment Agency (England), Natural Resources Wales, or DAERA (Northern Ireland) proactively, rather than waiting for an inspection.

What happens to the Waste Tracking ID when I correct a receipt?

The Waste Tracking ID stays the same. A correction updates the existing record in DEFRA's system rather than creating a new one, and both the original submission timestamp and the correction timestamp are recorded. Note that during Phase 1 (receivers only, from October 2026) carriers are still on paper — there is no corresponding digital carrier submission to reconcile against. Carrier digital records come into scope from October 2027.

How to correct or update a Receipt of Waste in Digital Waste Tracking

Last updated 16 October 2026

In short

Receipts of Waste in Digital Waste Tracking are mutable records. If you discover an error in a submitted receipt, you are legally required to correct it as soon as reasonably practicable and in any event within one month of discovering the mistake. You can update the record through the DWT online portal, a corrected spreadsheet, or connected software that sends a PUT to the Receipt of Waste API. The Waste Tracking ID stays the same; only the data changes.

A receipt submitted to Digital Waste Tracking is not set in stone. Unlike a paper waste transfer note that is immutable once signed, a Receipt of Waste in the digital service can be updated after submission — and must be, if you discover an error. Here is exactly what you can correct, how to do it, and how long you have.

Can you correct a Receipt of Waste after it has been submitted?

Yes. Receipts of Waste are mutable records in Digital Waste Tracking. You can update a submitted receipt at any time through the DWT portal, a corrected spreadsheet, or connected software. The original Waste Tracking ID is retained; only the data is replaced.

This is one of the key architectural differences between Digital Waste Tracking and the paper waste transfer note. A WTN is legally immutable — if a paper note is wrong, you issue a correction note alongside it. A DWT receipt works more like a live database record: you update it in place, and the system records both the original submission and the correction timestamp. The most recent version is what regulators see in their view of the national tracking data.

Correcting a receipt is not optional. Under the Digital Waste Tracking (England) Regulations 2026 you must correct an error as soon as reasonably practicable and in any event within one month of discovering it. The duty applies to errors in your own data and to errors that originated from information the carrier gave you.

What types of errors can you correct?

Any field in the receipt can be corrected — from EWC codes and quantities to carrier details, hazardous classification and the disposal or recovery code used.

Common errors corrected in DWT receipts

Field	Typical error	Why it matters
EWC code	Wrong six-digit code; hazardous asterisk missing or incorrectly added	Regulators use EWC codes to identify hazardous waste streams. A wrong code misclassifies the waste in the national record.
Waste description	Description too vague or copied from a transfer note that was itself incorrect	The description must be adequate to identify the waste; vague descriptions are flagged in EA audits.
Quantity	Estimated weight entered; corrected weighbridge figure available afterwards	Quantity is compared across movements. A large discrepancy between carrier and receiver weights can trigger an investigation.
Carrier & registration	Wrong carrier name or registration number on an unaccompanied load	The carrier's registration is validated. An invalid number means the movement cannot be reconciled with the carrier's own records.
Hazardous / POPs flag	Hazardous waste recorded as non-hazardous, or a POPs flag omitted	Misclassifying hazardous waste is a separate regulatory offence. Correct immediately.
Disposal or recovery code	R code used when the waste goes to landfill (D code), or vice versa	R/D codes drive waste hierarchy reporting. Incorrect codes distort national statistics.
Rejected load	Load accepted in the receipt but physically turned away	If waste was rejected on arrival, the receipt should record the rejection. Leaving it as accepted creates a false record.

How do you correct a receipt in Digital Waste Tracking?

You can correct a submitted receipt in three ways: through the DWT online portal, by uploading a corrected spreadsheet row, or through connected software that sends an updated record to the Receipt of Waste API.

Online portal — log in to the 'Report receipt of waste' service at GOV.UK, find the movement using its Waste Tracking Reference, edit the relevant fields, and save. The updated record overwrites the previous version and is timestamped.
Corrected spreadsheet — if you originally submitted via the DEFRA spreadsheet template, you can re-upload a row for the same movement using its Waste Tracking Reference. Use only DEFRA's official template without modification.
Connected software (API) — software integrated with the Receipt of Waste API sends a PUT request carrying the corrected payload to the same Waste Tracking ID. The PUT is a full replacement: all data fields must be included, not just the changed ones. The service validates the corrected data and, on acceptance, replaces the previous record.

In all three cases you need the Waste Tracking Reference (the unique ID issued when the original receipt was accepted). If you do not have it, retrieve it from the portal or from your software's movement history before attempting the correction. There is no delete or void option — records are corrected in place, never removed.

What is the deadline for correcting an error?

You must correct any error as soon as reasonably practicable and in any event within one month of becoming aware of it.

The one-month limit is set by the Digital Waste Tracking (England) Regulations 2026 and runs from when you discovered the error, not from the original submission date. This matters because errors are sometimes found days or weeks after the load was received — for example, when an invoice or consignment note arrives with different details than the carrier originally quoted. The clock starts at discovery, not at submission.

"As soon as reasonably practicable" means you should not wait until the one-month limit approaches. If you spot an error today, correct it today or tomorrow — not in three weeks. Regulators can consider the length of any uncorrected period when assessing compliance.

What happens to the Waste Tracking ID when you correct a receipt?

The Waste Tracking ID stays the same. A correction updates the existing record in DEFRA's system rather than creating a new one, and the correction timestamp is recorded alongside the original submission timestamp so the audit trail is intact.

Because the Digital Waste Tracking (England) Regulations 2026 bring in receivers first (mandatory since 1 October 2026) and carriers later (October 2027), there is currently no corresponding digital carrier submission for the regulator to cross-check your receipt against. Carriers in Phase 1 still complete paper waste transfer notes or hazardous consignment notes. That means a correction to your receipt during this phase cannot be reconciled against a carrier's digital record — because none exists yet.

What you should do is check the accompanying paper transfer note or consignment note. If your corrected EWC code, weight or carrier details differ materially from what the paper document shows, notify the carrier and, where possible, issue a corrected note for your own records. When carriers come into scope from October 2027, the Waste Tracking ID will become the reconciliation link between the two sides of a movement.

When should you contact your regulator about an error?

Most minor data corrections — a wrong weight, a typo in a description — do not require you to notify the regulator. But if the error involves hazardous waste misclassification, a significant quantity discrepancy, or waste that was rejected on arrival, contact the Environment Agency, Natural Resources Wales, or DAERA (Northern Ireland) proactively.

Proactive disclosure is consistently treated more favourably by regulators than errors discovered during an inspection. If you are uncertain whether an error is significant enough to report, check with your environmental regulator or a qualified environmental consultant before making the correction.

This guide is general information about Digital Waste Tracking, not legal advice. If you are in doubt about your obligations or whether a specific error needs to be reported, seek advice from your environmental regulator or a qualified environmental solicitor.

Primary sources

Frequently asked questions

Can you correct a Receipt of Waste after it has been submitted to Digital Waste Tracking?: Yes. Receipts of Waste are mutable records in Digital Waste Tracking. You can update a submitted receipt through the DWT online portal, a corrected spreadsheet upload, or via connected software using the Receipt of Waste API (a PUT to the existing Waste Tracking ID). The Waste Tracking ID issued on the original submission stays the same; the system replaces the record with the corrected data and stamps it with the update timestamp.
How long do you have to correct an error in a Digital Waste Tracking receipt?: You must correct any error as soon as reasonably practicable and in any event within one month of discovering it. The one-month clock runs from when you became aware of the mistake, not from the original submission date.
What types of errors can be corrected in a Receipt of Waste?: Any field in the receipt can be corrected, including the EWC code, waste description, quantity and unit of measurement, container type, carrier details and carrier registration number, hazardous or POPs classification, and the disposal or recovery code (R or D code). If the waste was rejected on arrival, the record should be updated to reflect that fact.
Do I have to tell my regulator when I correct a Digital Waste Tracking receipt?: There is no general duty to notify your regulator every time you correct a minor error. However, if the error was significant — for example, waste classified as non-hazardous that should have been hazardous, or a large quantity discrepancy — it is good practice to notify the Environment Agency (England), Natural Resources Wales, or DAERA (Northern Ireland) proactively, rather than waiting for an inspection.
What happens to the Waste Tracking ID when I correct a receipt?: The Waste Tracking ID stays the same. A correction updates the existing record in DEFRA's system rather than creating a new one, and both the original submission timestamp and the correction timestamp are recorded. Note that during Phase 1 (receivers only, from October 2026) carriers are still on paper — there is no corresponding digital carrier submission to reconcile against. Carrier digital records come into scope from October 2027.

Related guides

This guide is general information from ComplyWaste, not legal advice. Always check the primary sources for your situation.