Product · DEFRA integration
Two clicks.
To the regulator.
LoadSnap is part of the DEFRA Digital Waste Tracking (DWT) Beta. We submit directly via the new API. Receiving sites go first - England, Wales and Northern Ireland from 1 October 2026, Scotland from 1 January 2027 - with carriers and brokers following in a planned second phase from October 2027. We'll be live on day one - and you should be too.
Built for the mandate
The clock is already running.
From October 2026, waste receivers in England, Wales and Northern Ireland must record every movement digitally, with Scotland following in January 2027 and carriers planned for October 2027. LoadSnap is in the DEFRA Digital Waste Tracking (DWT) Beta - we'll be live on day one.
- 1
Now
Start recording today
Build your audit trail before the deadline. LoadSnap stores every WTN, photo, and signature.
- 2
Apr 2026
DEFRA DWT Beta opens
Operators on the platform get sandbox access first. We submit on your behalf during the beta.
- 3
Oct 2026
Mandatory for receivers
Every transfer station, MRF, and treatment site in England, Wales and Northern Ireland must use the digital waste tracking service. Scotland follows in January 2027.
~5 months left - 4
Oct 2027
Carriers follow (planned)
Phase 2, planned from October 2027: registered carriers submit waste movements digitally - paper WTNs no longer compliant.
DEFRA digital waste tracking
Why the rollout runs backwards - and what it means for you
DEFRA is mandating the receiving side before the carrying side. LoadSnap is built for both phases, so you're ready whichever side of the gate you're on.
Receivers go digital while the carrier side is still on paper
DEFRA is starting with the people who receive waste, not the people who carry it. So at first the carrier still turns up with a paper transfer note, and the receiving site is the one that records the movement digitally and files it to DEFRA.
- Carrier arrives; the weighbridge operative selects them from the saved carrier library and adds the vehicle reg and driver
- Each waste item captured - a photo where the load's visible (LoadSnap's AI suggests the EWC code and description), manual entry for sealed containers; the operative can edit either way
- Container type, count and weight (estimated or actual) captured at the bridge
- Operative submits to the back office, who review and file the movement to DEFRA - a Waste Tracking ID comes back
Carriers submit at planning, and the ID flows downstream
When Phase 2 lands it becomes the carrier's job too. The movement is created - and given a Waste Tracking ID - when the job is planned. The driver carries that ID, and at the receiving site the operative just looks it up: most of the detail is already there, so they only confirm and add the weight.
- Carrier creates the job; the record is submitted and a Tracking ID is issued up front
- Driver collects with the Tracking ID on the paperwork
- At the gate, the operative enters the ID - the waste details pre-fill - and adds photos and the weight
- The carrier confirms the actual figures after collection
Pre-mandate, LoadSnap already digitises the whole workflow and produces your WTNs and records - the DEFRA API submission simply switches on for each side as its phase goes live.
What we submit
Every field DEFRA's new API expects.
Producer, carrier, receiver, vehicle, EWC, weight, treatment code, signature. All pre-populated from the workflow. All retained for the statutory 3 years.
Producer & carrier IDs
Waste-producer codes, registered carrier numbers, broker IDs - all validated against the public register at submission.
Weight & method
Gross / tare / net, measurement source (weighbridge or estimate), method code.
EWC + treatment
EWC classification, hazardous flag, R/D code (recovery vs disposal), final destination.
Vehicle & journey
Plate, ARN, journey log. Every leg captured even on multi-stop runs.
Signature chain
Producer at handover, carrier on collection, receiver on tip. Each signature time-stamped, geo-stamped, archived.
Hazardous extras
HWCN, premises code, H-codes, SDS attachment where required.
What you get back
DEFRA tracking IDs. PDF receipts. Real audit trail.
Every submission returns a DEFRA tracking ID - your defence in any future dispute or audit. Attached to the load, surfaced on the customer's portal, downloadable as a PDF receipt.
DEFRA tracking ID on every load
Surfaced on the WTN, on the customer's producer portal, on the receiver's consignee return.
PDF receipts auto-generated
Branded with your company, downloadable from the customer's inbox. They never need to ask.
Auto-retry on transient failures
The API has bad days. We retry, exponential backoff, alert your admin if a load doesn't make it in.
Submission log, fully searchable
Filter by date, customer, EWC, vehicle. Re-fetch the DEFRA response in one click.
Getting connected
How setup actually works.
There are three steps between signing up and your first live submission, and only one of them involves DEFRA. Receiving sites need a Digital Waste Tracking code from DEFRA first - we've written a step-by-step guide to getting your DWT code. From there, LoadSnap handles the plumbing, whether you're a receiving site reporting from day one or a carrier getting ahead of phase 2.
1. Get your DWT code from DEFRA
Register your organisation on the Digital Waste Tracking service and add each permitted site. Once a site is approved, DEFRA issues it a per-site API code - a UUID, one per site, not per company.
2. Paste it in and test
Settings → DEFRA → Your Receiving Sites. Paste each site's code, save, press Test Connection - LoadSnap calls DEFRA and confirms the code is recognised before you ever submit a real movement.
3. Make your first submission
Log a load as normal and press Submit to DEFRA - the tracking ID comes back and attaches to the record. Auto-submission exists, but it's opt-in and off by default: you press the button until you decide to trust the automation.
Questions
DEFRA integration questions, answered.
On the DEFRA DWT Beta
The mandate is coming.
Get compliant now.
Start for free. Live in under an hour. No credit card. Build your digital audit trail today, before the deadline forces it.
DEFRA API integrated · EA carrier verification · UK data residency