How to Choose the Right Digital Waste Tracking Software: A Buyer's Guide

As the list of DEFRA-compatible software suppliers grows, the list itself becomes far less useful as a tool for choosing the right provider. Over the last few weeks, we've had a number of people contact us saying they'd simply picked a couple of names off the list at random to get in touch with. We're glad we were one of the names — but that's not the best way to choose compliance software you'll be relying on for years. Many of the people we spoke to were also struggling to evaluate platforms against each other, with no clear way to compare them. So we've put together a fuller Buyer's Guide, split into two parts: what to look for in the software, and what to look for in the company behind it. If you've spent any time around technology, you'll know the Goldilocks principle: too big, too small, just right. It applies just as well to DWT software. Too big: Many people are surprised that some of the biggest names in enterprise software are missing from DEFRA's list. Having worked at big tech companies ourselves, it's clear why. Built in a different era, these platforms are expensive and weighed down by legacy design, where every significant change is slow and difficult. Have you ever tried to turn a bus around? Too small: Cheap, and built for one job only. These tools integrate with DEFRA's API, but often only give you a way of filling in a form — no preseeded data, no way to check the accuracy of permits or other details before you submit. The hard work of filling in the form, and the responsibility for getting the data right, sits entirely with you. They are not buses. They're motorbikes. They struggle to carry more than one passenger and, if you're riding pillion, after a couple of hours your bum will hurt. Just right: The right balance of complexity, simplicity and agility. Here are five questions to ask a prospective supplier to find out if they're it: 1. Are they built for one site or multiple sites? How do they cope if you run several sites with different permits, teams and locations now or when you grow? 2. Do they assume you're just "one thing"? How do they handle it if you're not just a waste receiver, but also a carrier, and potentially a broker or dealer? How will they cope next year, when DWT rolls out to carriers and you have to operate in more than one capacity at once? 3. Do they rely on you knowing every permit number and postcode yourself, or do they offer preseeded data that makes submissions quicker and more accurate? 4. If they hold permit data, how often do they check it against the Environment Agency's register? Never — that's on you? Once a year? Once a month? Daily? The only real compliance is live compliance. A permit that was correct in March isn't necessarily still correct in September. 5. Do they work equally well across devices? You might have a PC at the weighbridge today, but as DWT rolls out, tablets and phones will likely become the first choice for some of your team. You don't want to find out it doesn't work on mobile after you've gone live.

The questions above will tell you a lot about the software. But because this is compliance software — the kind that has to work reliably, keep your data safe, and stand up to scrutiny from a regulator — the company behind it matters just as much as the product itself.

Check Companies House — DEFRA's list is a mix of limited companies and sole traders. Companies House will tell you whether a company is actually registered, and whether it's active or has been dissolved. It takes two minutes and it's free. Think about continuity. Under DWT, your records need to be retrievable for at least two years. If your supplier is a sole trader, ask yourself what happens to your records — and your ongoing compliance — if something happens to that one person. A limited company isn't immune to failure either, but a sole trader is a single point of failure in a way that's worth thinking through before, not after, you're relying on them. Check the ICO register — Any company holding your data — and your customers' data — needs to take that responsibility seriously. Registering with the ICO is the minimum you should expect from a supplier handling compliance records on your behalf. Check if they're VAT registered — It's not a requirement, and plenty of good small suppliers aren't. But it's a useful signal of a company's size and, often, its overall commercial sophistication. You usually see the number on their website if they have one. Look at the team on LinkedIn — Has this team actually delivered compliance software before? A DWT platform isn't a basic website or a simple app — it's a high-grade enterprise tool that has to work correctly, keep sensitive data secure, and be ready for regulatory inspection. That takes years of experience to get right. Make sure the people building the tool you'll depend on have done this before — you don't want to be their first attempt at something this high-stakes. That doesn't rule out newer companies. DWT itself is new, and new teams often bring the freshest thinking. But look at the individuals, not just the company's age — check that the people behind it, whatever the company's history, have delivered compliance software somewhere before.

Those five checks tell you a lot about a supplier as it stands today. There's a bigger question worth asking alongside them: was this company built for the world DEFRA is creating, or retrofitted for it? DEFRA is putting the digital record at the centre of compliance, replacing paper as the source of truth. That's not a small change. Companies built after this shift are designing around a digital-first model by default. Companies built before it were designed around paper — and are now retrofitting a digital layer on top. That distinction matters more than it might sound. When a system changes as fundamentally as this one is changing, a large legacy built for the old model doesn't automatically become a safety net. Often, it does the opposite — it slows down exactly the kind of adaptation this moment demands.

Whatever you decide, keep your options open. Don't be talked into a long contract, however cheap it looks up front. Monthly rolling payments, where you can walk away at any time, are the safer choice — even though many software companies, especially the more established ones, will push hard for a longer commitment to lock you in. Modern software should earn your continued custom, not force it. What happens if within a few weeks you work out it wasn't right for you?

The software Not all waste businesses are the same, and not all software is built to flex with them. It needs to reflect your organisation, your team and your ways of working — and grow as those change. Look for: - Multi-site support - Multi-role support (receiver, carrier, broker, dealer) - Preseeded permit data - Frequency of permit/EA data checks - Works across PC, tablet and phone - Secure and audit ready The company The right software still depends on the right company standing behind it. Look for: - Registered and active on Companies House - Limited company vs. sole trader — continuity considered - Registered with the ICO - VAT registration status checked - Team's track record in compliance software verified on LinkedIn - Contract terms — rolling, not locked in

Do I need multi-role (carrier/broker) support if I'm only a waste receiver today? Not today — but DWT extends to carriers, brokers and dealers from October 2027. If there's any chance your business could take on one of those roles, or already does elsewhere in the group, it's worth checking now rather than migrating platforms again in a year's time. Remember DEFRA is still defining the specification for carrier compliance so no currently available software will be 100% ready. Is it ever fine to choose a cheaper, single-purpose tool? If you run one site, one role, and have someone with the time to manually verify every permit yourself, a lightweight tool can work. The risk grows in proportion to your complexity — multiple sites, multiple roles, or a team without the spare capacity to double-check every submission by hand. How do I find the current, definitive list of approved DWT software providers? DEFRA publishes and regularly updates the official list of approved suppliers on its website — always check there for the most current version before you start evaluating anyone. If you're comparing providers right now and want a second pair of eyes on your shortlist, we're always happy to talk it through. We will be available every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday between 8.30 and 9.00am to answer any other questions you may have in general on Digital Waste Tracking, see how to book in here.