Digital Waste Tracking (DWT) is mandatory in England & Wales from October 2026 — WasteBolt is already live on Defra’s production DWT environment today, so every waste transfer note you complete can be submitted straight away. This guide covers every field Defra requires when waste arrives at your site, and exactly what to enter when the “normal” answer is missing. Want the shorter version first? See What Information Do You Need for a DWT Submission? for the quick checklist and where each field lives in WasteBolt.

Think of it in three buckets

Every waste receipt is really three things bundled together. Keep these in mind and the whole form makes more sense.

  • The Movement — when it arrived, who brought it, who received it, how it got there.
  • The Waste — what the waste actually is: EWC code, description, containers, weight.
  • The People — the carrier, the receiving site, and optionally a broker or dealer.

Always required — no exceptions

Field Example Notes
Date & time received 15/09/2026 12:12 Exact date and time the waste arrived at site
Waste description 20 03 01 At least one EWC code plus a written description of the waste
Containers 4 × SKI Number of containers and what type (see the container codes below)
Weight Kilograms, 150, estimated: true Mandatory per waste item. Requires a unit (Grams/Kilograms/Tonnes), an amount (must be greater than 0), and isEstimate (true if estimated, false if measured)
Is the waste hazardous? — Yes/No — triggers additional fields if Yes
Disposal or recovery code R1 At least one D or R code per waste item — mandatory per Defra’s own guidance
Carrier organisation name Acme Skips Ltd Who transported the waste to site
Means of transport Road Road · Rail · Air · Sea · Inland Waterway · Piped · Other (case-sensitive)
Carrier registration number CBDU123456 Or a valid exemption reason if they don’t have one — see below
Receiving site authorisation EPR/AB1234CD Your site’s permit or licence number
Receiving address & postcode — Must be a UK postcode — where the waste was physically received

Conditional fields — the tricky part

These fields only become required in specific situations — and there’s always a fallback if you don’t have the normal answer.

No hazardous waste consignment code?

Required if any EWC code on the movement is hazardous. If you don’t have one, enter a reason instead — never both.

Code Meaning
NON_HAZ_WASTE_TRANSFER The waste transfer isn’t actually hazardous
NO_DOC_WITH_WASTE Hazardous waste, but no paperwork came with it
HWRC_RECEIPT Received at a Household Waste Recycling Centre

If you do have a code, the England & Wales format is AB12CD/12345 (6 characters / slash / 5 characters).

Waste is hazardous — component breakdown

Also provide HP codes (e.g. HP_3, HP_14) and a source for the component data:

Code Meaning
NOT_PROVIDED You don’t have component detail — components list can be empty
PROVIDED_WITH_WASTE Came with the paperwork — warning only if no components listed
GUIDANCE Based on published guidance — error if no components listed
OWN_TESTING You tested it — error if no components listed

Warning: If you choose GUIDANCE or OWN_TESTING, you must list at least one component (name + concentration in mg/kg) or Defra will reject the submission.

Waste contains POPs (persistent organic pollutants)?

Exactly the same pattern as hazardous components — same four source codes, same rules apply:

Code Meaning
NOT_PROVIDED Fine — list can be empty
PROVIDED_WITH_WASTE Warning only if no components listed
GUIDANCE Error if no components listed
OWN_TESTING Error if no components listed

No carrier registration number?

Normally required. Use a reason code instead — never both, never neither.

Code Meaning
ON_SITE Waste moved within the same site or premises
HOUSEHOLD A householder transporting their own waste
ONE_OFF A genuine one-off / infrequent transport job
MARINE Marine transport under a licence or exemption

If you do have a registration number, the England/Wales format is CBDL999999 (Lower Tier) or CBDU999999 (Upper Tier).

Vehicle registration

Only required when the means of transport is Road. Rail, sea, air etc. — leave it blank.

Standardised codes — enter exactly as shown

Means of transport: Road · Rail · Air · Sea · Inland Waterway · Piped · Other

Physical form of waste: Gas · Liquid · Solid · Powder · Sludge · Mixed

Container type codes

Code Meaning
LOO Loose (no container)
SKI Skip
DRU Drum (typically 205L)
IBC Intermediate Bulk Container (1000L)
BAG Bag / Sack
ROR Roll-on Roll-off (RoRo)
PAL Pallet
WBI Wheelie Bin
BOX Box / Crate
TAN Tanker / Tank
FIB Fibre drum
CAN Can / Jerrycan
CAR Carrier / Cage
BAL Bale
CAS Cask
CON Container (unspecified)

Quick “what do I put if it’s missing?” cheat sheet

Missing What to do
No hazardous consignment code Use: NON_HAZ_WASTE_TRANSFER · NO_DOC_WITH_WASTE · HWRC_RECEIPT
No carrier registration number Use: ON_SITE · HOUSEHOLD · ONE_OFF · MARINE
No hazardous component breakdown Fine if source = NOT_PROVIDED; warning if PROVIDED_WITH_WASTE; blocked if GUIDANCE or OWN_TESTING
No POPs component breakdown Same rule as above, for POPs
Not travelling by road Vehicle registration not needed — leave blank
No weight recorded Not allowed — weight (unit + amount + isEstimate) is mandatory for every waste item
No disposal/recovery code Not allowed — every waste item needs at least one D or R code

Frequently Asked Questions

When is DWT mandatory?

Digital Waste Tracking becomes mandatory in England & Wales from October 2026. All sites receiving waste must record movements in Defra’s DWT system from that date.

Does WasteBolt submit DWT on my behalf?

Yes — WasteBolt is connected to Defra’s production DWT environment. When you create a complete WTN in WasteBolt, it automatically queues for submission to the EA. You don’t need to log in to any separate Defra portal.

What’s the difference between a consignment code and a carrier registration number?

They’re unrelated. The carrier registration number (e.g. CBDU123456) proves the carrier is licensed to transport waste. The hazardous waste consignment code (e.g. AB12CD/12345) is the paperwork reference for a specific hazardous waste movement — only needed when the waste itself is hazardous.

Is weight mandatory?

Yes — weight is mandatory for every waste item. You must provide three things: the unit (Grams, Kilograms, or Tonnes), the amount (must be greater than 0), and isEstimate (true if it’s an estimated weight, false if it was actually measured on a weighbridge).

What if I pick GUIDANCE as my source of components but don’t have the breakdown?

Defra will reject the submission. If you don’t have component data, choose NOT_PROVIDED instead — that’s always accepted.

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