Your guide to Digital Waste Tracking
Digital Waste Tracking will make it easy to track waste and resources in real-time throughout the economy.
Digital Waste Tracking Service
The government currently has a target of 2023 to 2024 to launch the digital waste tracking service. To help them shape this, a consultation surrounding Mandatory Digital Waste Tracking ran from 21 January until 15 April 2022.
Polytag welcomes this seismic change, as we aim to create a world where all packaging and waste is described, tagged and traced throughout the circular economy with digital and robust solutions, and we are looking forward to hearing the result of the Digital Waste Tracking Consultation. Learn more about our solutions to EPR and DRS here.
Defra reports that nearly 200 million tonnes of waste is produced in the UK each year, and much of it is not tracked comprehensively. The consultation was gauging the current opinion from businesses, trade bodies, waste producers and the public across all four devolved nations on the best way to digitise mandatory digital waste tracking to help improve operations and reduce fraud.
The future of waste tracking
Currently, the system is highly fragmented and there is little cohesion among waste companies. Many businesses use paper-based record keeping, which can be laborious and time-consuming. With the introduction of digital waste tracking, legitimate waste companies will have their processes streamlined. It will be much more difficult for companies to commit waste crime, including flytipping, illegal waste exports, deliberate misclassification of waste and the operation of illegal waste sites.
The consultation documents can be viewed here, but involved 57 questions to thoroughly gauge the thoughts of respondents.
Expected release date
Currently, we are waiting to hear the government’s conclusions from the public consultation, but check back here upon its release to hear our thoughts and breakdown of the legislation.