1. Confirm that the receipt is in scope
GOV.UK says licensed or permitted organisations receiving controlled waste must enter details of every load they receive using the service, unless a specific exception applies.
The requirement applies in England and Wales from 1 October 2026. Scotland and Northern Ireland move to the receiving-site requirement from 1 January 2027.
2. Access the service using the organisation account
The first time an organisation uses the service, GOV.UK says it will create a Defra account using the organisation's Government Gateway or GOV.UK One Login account. A personal Government Gateway account should not be used for the service.
3. Choose the submission route
There are two government-supported routes: submit through the API or complete and upload the spreadsheet. GOV.UK says organisations can use a combination of the two rather than choosing one permanently.
- Spreadsheet submission can suit lower-volume or transitional workflows.
- API submission connects compatible software directly to the government service.
- Compatible API software must record the legally required data and send it through the Report receipt of waste API.
- GOV.UK maintains a list of compatible software providers; Waste X Tracking is currently listed under Waste X.
4. Capture the required data before the deadline
The published requirements include movement, carrier and receiver details, waste classification codes, recovery or disposal codes, POPs data where applicable and hazardous waste information where required.
The best time to identify missing information is during the receiving workflow. Waiting until the submission step leaves less time to resolve gaps in carrier, classification or treatment data.
5. Submit within 2 working days
For receipts in England and Wales, records must normally be submitted within 2 working days, excluding weekends and bank holidays. The timeframe starts on the day after the waste is received.
GOV.UK gives the example of waste received on Monday: the submission and unique reference number must be obtained by 11:59pm on Wednesday, assuming neither day is affected by a bank holiday.
6. Deal with errors and corrections
If the service or your software notifies you of an error during submission, GOV.UK says it must be corrected within the applicable two-working-day reporting timeframe.
The guidance also says errors discovered later must be corrected as soon as possible and always within one month of discovery. Keeping a change history helps show what was corrected and when.
7. Have an outage process
If an outage prevents submission, the current guidance requires a written record of the receipt data within the normal two-working-day timeframe and transfer of that record to the service within 7 working days after the outage is resolved. The regulator may also need to be notified depending on the cause of the outage.
8. Keep the existing records that still apply
The new service currently runs alongside existing requirements. Waste transfer notes, Annex VII forms and hazardous waste consignment notes must continue where required, as do applicable waste returns and hazardous waste consignee returns.
- Do not assume the new digital submission removes every existing record immediately.
- Keep internal movement references consistent across operational records and regulatory submissions.
- Review live GOV.UK guidance when processes or regulatory transition dates change.
Official sources
Check the latest government guidance.
Waste rules and implementation guidance can change. These resources summarise the published position at the date shown above; always check the live guidance for your organisation and waste streams.