Digital Waste Tracking was supposed to be in place by April 2025, according to announcements made by the EA at the TRA Forum last September
This news will come as a relief to some, and no surprise to most. The hope was that by moving from a paper-based system to a digital system, the Environment Agency would be batter able to track waste and ensure that it was properly accounted for – at least within the limits of its jurisdiction.
The announcement, although generally welcomed, was taken with a pinch of salt, since it was eight years since the Environment Agency had announced the withdrawal of the T8 exemption, and there was no sign of it being removed.
Now, it is understood that the mandatory digital waste tracking system for the UK is almost certain to be delayed.
The policy established by the previous Conservative government is likely to be paused pending a review and the direction of the Circular Economy Taskforce.
Media reports suggest that local authorities have seen no evidence of any technology trial, which given the expected launch in April, suggests that the system is unlikely to go ahead on schedule.
DeFRA is quoted as saying; “Ministers across the four nations have been reviewing the waste tracking policy and we will be providing an update very soon to provide clarity and reassurance for stakeholders.”
This delay comes on top of the initial delay, as DeFRA’s own documents suggest the roll-out should have started between 2023 and 2024.
It is normal for policies set by one government to be “called in” by its successor. However, one has to ask why DeFRA has seen fit to delay this important tool in managing waste resources?
The Digital Waste Tracking plan would see offences and civil sanctions to be introduced around digital waste tracking requirements. Examples of offences were/ are likely to be :
• failing to register on the waste tracking service where required,
• intentionally or recklessly providing incomplete or false information in a digital record
• moving or receiving waste without a digital record
Essentially, this would mean that any waste handled outside the system would be illegal, and the digital tracking would reduce investigation times from months to days, or even hours.
The failure to roll out digital waste tracking in 2023 -2024 raises questions about who is driving the department. We have previously heard from George Eustace, a past Environment Minster, that the change on the T8 Exemption never reached his desk for a sign off. Now, we have another set of waste regulation nowhere near ready for authorisation.
DeFRA has stated in a response to the TRA’s Peter Taylor, that managing waste tyres is not a priority. It is beginning to appear that managing waste is not a priority full stop.
