Digital waste tracking software compared: how to choose

There are two ways to report, and a long list of software. This page doesn't rank anyone. It sets out what Defra's own route gives you, what to ask any provider, and how Byrne answers those questions.

Route 1: Defra's own spreadsheet template, uploaded to the service. No software to buy; you pay Defra's £26 a year.
Route 2: Software that sends to Defra's API using your organisation's API code.
The list: GOV.UK's software provider list had 238 entries on 24 October 2026 (page updated 23 October).
Defra: Defra's helpline can't advise on particular software products.

Start free Check your permit

The two routes

	Defra's spreadsheet	Software
Cost	£26 a year per organisation to Defra	£26 to Defra, plus the provider's price
How	Fill Defra's template, upload it. Many loads and several sites in one upload GOV.UK	Each load sent to Defra's API with your API code
Rules	Defra's format only; no changes, your own spreadsheet is not accepted GOV.UK	Depends on the product
How long	Defra call it temporary, expected until at least October 2027 GOV.UK	Up to you and the provider

You can use a mix of both GOV.UK. For a site with a few loads a week, the spreadsheet can be enough. For a busy gate, the question is who will key and upload it every other day.

Ten questions to ask any provider

The right answer depends on your site. These are the questions that decide it, with Byrne's answers so you can compare like with like. Ask every provider on your shortlist the same ten.

Ask	Byrne Waste Tracking's answer
Are you on GOV.UK's software provider list?	Yes, listed on GOV.UK as a compatible software provider
What does it cost, and does it go up with loads or users?	From £89 a site a month, with unlimited loads and users. Monthly, no contract
Is there a free trial?	14 days free, then from £89 a month per site
Does it send to Defra itself, or make a file for me to upload?	Both. It sends each load automatically once you've linked your Defra account, and can build Defra's spreadsheet
Does it check a load before it goes?	Yes, against Defra's rules. Problems are caught before they're sent
Does it read my weighbridge?	No. You key the weight, or the ticket number and weight
Does it need installing?	No. It runs in the browser on a phone or computer
What if there's no signal at the gate?	A load saved with no signal waits on the phone and goes up when the signal comes back
Can I get my records out?	Yes: every load as a spreadsheet, any time
Who do I talk to when stuck?	Email wilf@byrnedigitalsolutions.co.uk. I reply the same working day

Three more worth asking anyone: who owns my data if I leave; does it handle hazardous loads and consignment codes; does it cope with my type of site (the site-type guides show what each type needs). Already on something else? How to switch.

Things that are true whichever you choose

You register your own organisation with Defra and pay the £26 yourself. A software provider can't do that for you Defra FAQ.
One API code covers every site your organisation runs GOV.UK. Which number it is.
The duty is yours as the operator, whichever route the record takes.

Straight answers

Questions people ask

What is the best digital waste tracking software?

It depends on your site. Start from GOV.UK's list of compatible software providers, then ask each one the same questions: price and what it goes up with, whether it sends to Defra itself, whether it checks loads first, and whether it suits your type of site.

Do I have to buy software for digital waste tracking?

No. Defra's own spreadsheet template, uploaded to the service, is the other route. You cannot use your own spreadsheet or change Defra's format.

How many digital waste tracking software providers are there?

GOV.UK's Report receipt of waste: choose a software provider page listed 238 on 24 October 2026. The page was updated on 23 October 2026.

Can a software provider register with Defra for me?

No. Defra's developer FAQ says waste receivers register and pay on the service themselves. Then you give your API code to your provider.

Is Defra's spreadsheet going away?

Defra call it a temporary route and expect it to stay until at least October 2027.

Want this done for you at the gate?

Byrne Waste Tracking runs in the browser on a phone or computer, with nothing to install. It remembers your carriers and their numbers, offers the waste codes and R or D codes your site uses, checks each load against Defra's rules first, and sends it to Defra automatically once you've linked your Defra account. Byrne Digital Solutions is listed on GOV.UK as a compatible software provider.

14 days free, then from £89 a month per site, no contract, and there's no card to enter until you start it. No setup fee, and you see your price before you pay anything.

A site in Scotland or Northern Ireland that joins before 1 January 2027 pays nothing until 1 January 2027. Scotland starts that day and DAERA say January 2027 for Northern Ireland.

Start free Log a pretend load first

Got a waste consultant? Ask them about Byrne first. Stuck on something here? Email wilf@byrnedigitalsolutions.co.uk - email is the quickest way to reach me, and I reply the same working day.

The digital waste tracking checklist for 1 NovemberA month in: twelve checks, from the API code and late loads to the £26.
Is this my Defra API code? The numbers people send insteadThe support ID, the helpline number and six-digit numbers are not it. What the real one looks like.
Digital waste tracking for consultants and TCMs managing several sitesWho registers, one API code per organisation, setting client sites up in one go.
Digital waste tracking for skip hire yards and transfer stationsThe codes yards really take, R13 or D15, weighing by skip size, and a filled-in example.
Defra's waste tracking spreadsheet, or software?How Defra's template works, the formats that trip people up, and when software is less work.
Every guideAll the questions customers ask, one page each.