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Privacy notice

This privacy notice explains how we collect and manage your personal data when you use the Report receipt of waste service.

If you are providing information to us about other people, you must make them aware that their information is being shared with us and refer them to this privacy notice.

Who collects your personal data

The Secretary of State for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) is the controller for personal data we process in relation to:

  • verifying your identity
  • operating your Defra account
  • the service charge collection process

The 4 UK environmental regulators are joint controllers, under the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and Data Protection Act 2018 (DPA 2018), for the personal data they process in the Digital Waste Tracking system.

The UK environmental regulators are also separate controllers for the personal data when they use it:

  • to monitor and improve compliance with environmental legislation
  • for law enforcement purposes

The environmental regulators are:

  • Environment Agency
  • The Natural Resources Body for Wales
  • The Department for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA)
  • Scottish Environment Protection Agency

Processor

The Secretary of State for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) is the processor for the personal data processed through the Digital Waste Tracking system.

What personal data we process

We may collect:

  • your name
  • addresses
  • contact details
  • organisation name
  • vehicle registrations

For individuals, sole traders and unincorporated partnerships, personal data can include information about the movements of waste which involves individuals.

In England we will not collect personal data of individuals who bring household waste to a site provided by a waste disposal authority for the free deposit of household waste by local residents.

In Wales we will not collect personal data of residents of an authority who bring household waste to a site provided by a waste disposal authority or when any other person brings controlled waste to that site.

In Northern Ireland we will not collect personal data for the deposit of controlled waste at an authorised site provided by a District Council.

In Scotland we will not collect personal data for digital waste tracking purposes where waste is brought to a site provided by a waste disposal authority for the deposit of waste prior to transfer to a place provided to dispose of or recycle the waste.

The personal data forms part of the regulatory information requirements so we can understand who has produced, moved, treated or disposed of the waste.

For the service charge, Defra may process information on the payment details to include contact details, organisation name and payment references so that we can understand payment status. We do not receive or store financial details of the payment such as full card details or bank account details.

How we obtain your personal data

We obtain your personal data when it is submitted to the Digital Waste Tracking system:

  • directly from you
  • from permitted waste receivers

Why we may process your personal data

Our purpose for processing your personal data is to support preparations for the establishment of a new digital waste tracking system and ensure compliance with regulations where in force. This system will enable the digital reporting of waste movements.

The lawful basis we rely on to process your personal data is article 6(1)(e) of the UK GDPR, which allows us to process personal data when this is necessary to perform a task in the public interest or for our official functions and the task or function has a clear basis in law.

The processing has a basis in:

  • The Digital Waste Tracking (England) Regulations 2026
  • The Digital Waste Tracking (Wales) Regulations 2026
  • The Digital Waste Tracking (Scotland) Regulations 2026
  • The Environmental Protection Act 1990 as amended by section 58 of the Environment Act 2021
  • The Waste and Contaminated Land (Northern Ireland) Order 1997, as amended by section 59 of the Environment Act 2021
  • The Interpretation Act 1978 allowing the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and the regulators to exercise anticipatory powers, in relation to legislation that is not yet in force
  • The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs undertakes the development and testing of a voluntary digital service in the exercise of common-law executive powers

It is in the public interest for the UK Environmental Regulators to support preparations of this new system to assist businesses with the upcoming changes to legislation, which will include Digital Waste Tracking regulations for each of England and Northern Ireland, and help facilitate a smooth transition to digital waste reporting.

How we use your personal data

We will use data we collect in the Digital Waste Tracking system:

  • to provide visibility and insight about what data we will receive and how we might use it
  • to provide feedback to Defra and their commercial suppliers, on potential system improvements, quality of the data, its usefulness for regulatory purposes and any improvements that we would like to see

The UK environmental regulators may use the information as separate controllers:

  • to monitor and improve compliance with environmental legislation
  • for law enforcement purposes

Where we collect information during public beta voluntary phases, we will only use this for regulation and enforcement of regulations in effect at the time we collect the information.

If you hold an environmental licence or permit with a UK environmental regulator, they will provide you with a privacy notice explaining how they will use personal data. This may include personal data held in the Digital Waste Tracking system.

We may use information uploaded to the system to contact you about the information provided.

Who we share your personal data with

We may share your personal data with Defra to:

  • identify and implement potential system improvements
  • assess quality of the data, and its usefulness for regulatory and regulator policy purposes
  • inform Defra of any improvements that we would like to see to the system
  • test and develop the system
  • report outputs from the system

We may share your name, address and information about waste movement with Defra if this is necessary to:

  • enable Defra to assess quality of the data, and its usefulness for their regulatory and policy purposes
  • enable Defra to further test and develop the system and its outputs for their regulatory and policy purposes

Defra may share information with the UK environmental regulators where this is necessary to support tracking of waste and their regulatory activities. This includes:

  • payment status of organisations
  • name, contact details and digital waste tracking account details of the person making payment
  • name, contact details for the person(s) registered on the service and their waste tracking account details which are associated with the waste data submitted into the digital waste tracking system

We will not share or disclose your personal data with any other party without your consent unless we are required or permitted to do so by law.

We do not use your personal information to make an automated decision or for automated profiling.

How long we keep your personal data

We will keep your personal data in the Digital Waste Tracking system for 7 years from when it is uploaded unless the information:

  • is used by a UK environmental regulator as a separate controller
  • relates to waste movements ending in Northern Ireland

If information is used by a UK environmental regulator as a separate controller, the regulator will explain in their relevant privacy notice how long they will keep your personal data.

If the information is associated with waste movements ending in Northern Ireland, we will keep it for 15 years from when it is uploaded.

If you submit records using the alternative submission option (spreadsheet), we will keep a copy of the spreadsheet for 6 months.

Defra will keep personal data associated with the payment of the service charge for up to 7 years.

Where your personal information is processed and stored

We will only transfer your personal data to another country that is deemed adequate in accordance with data protection law.

Contact Details

Each regulator has a separate personal information charter or privacy notice which explains:

  • how to contact our Data Protection Officers
  • what we do with your personal information (personal data) in general
  • your rights and how to complain to the Information Commissioner's Office
  • how we process personal data for law enforcement purposes

Environment Agency

Personal information charter

Natural Resources Wales

Natural Resources Wales / Privacy notice

Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs

DAERA Privacy Statement | Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs

Scottish Environment Protection Agency

Scottish Environment Protection Agency - Privacy Notice

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Personal information charter - Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs - GOV.UK

Changes to this notice

We may change this privacy notice. In that case, the 'last updated' date at the bottom of this page will also change. Any changes to this privacy notice will apply to you and your data immediately.

If these changes affect how your personal data is processed, we will take reasonable steps to let you know.

Last updated: 18 September 2026