From 1 October 2026, more than 12,000 permitted waste sites across England were required to report in near real-time every load of waste they receive, the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs said in a 1 October 2026 announcement. The "Report Receipt of Waste" service is the first step in a wider Digital Waste Tracking system, intended to give investigators a digital audit trail. Sites must record details such as the waste carrier and the waste classification code.

The Environment Agency is to use the data to spot discrepancies between reported collections and receipts and to target investigations into suspected illegal dumping, mislabelling or illegal handling. Defra said the system, once fully implemented, would help trace where criminal networks may be infiltrating the waste journey.

Environment Secretary Dame Angela Eagle said waste criminals would have "nowhere to hide" under the service, which she said would mean faster enforcement. A further rollout of Digital Waste Tracking, extending it to waste collectors, was planned from spring 2027. Defra also cited earlier action at sites in Kidlington, Bradford and Wigan.