What is the DEFRA Digital Waste Tracking mandate?

The Digital Waste Tracking (DWT) mandate is a law under the Environment Act 2021 requiring all waste receiving sites in England to record waste movements digitally from 1 October 2026. Paper waste transfer notes, spreadsheets, and email chains will no longer be sufficient. Producers and carriers who fail to submit digital records face Environment Agency enforcement action, including fines and prosecution.

What is BREEAM Wst01 and how does WasteMapper help?

BREEAM Wst01 is the construction waste management credit in BREEAM UK New Construction — the UK's leading sustainability rating system for buildings. It requires a minimum 95% waste diversion rate by weight, a pre-construction Site Waste Management Plan, and a complete digital movement register with EWC codes, carrier licence details, and disposal routes for every collection. WasteMapper generates the exact evidence pack format BREEAM assessors expect in one click — covering a process that typically takes contractors two days to compile manually.

What happens if my construction business isn't DWT-compliant by October 2026?

From 1 October 2026, waste receiving sites that fail to record movements digitally face Environment Agency enforcement. The EA fined over £8.5 million across the construction sector in 2025 alone. Non-compliance also creates duty of care liability — if waste is mis-described or ends up fly-tipped, the producer bears responsibility without proper digital records to prove due diligence.

How does WasteMapper verify waste carrier licences?

Every time a waste movement is logged, WasteMapper checks the carrier's licence number live against the Environment Agency's public register in real time. If a carrier's registration is expired, suspended, or invalid, the system flags it immediately — before the vehicle leaves site. This verification is recorded permanently on every movement record, providing your duty of care evidence.

Who is WasteMapper built for?

WasteMapper is designed for SME construction contractors and developers who need waste compliance without a dedicated environmental manager. If waste management currently falls to a site manager, a quantity surveyor, or "whoever deals with it," WasteMapper is built for you. It works across house-builders, groundworks contractors, fit-out specialists, and main contractors on BREEAM-rated projects.

How quickly can site workers start logging waste?

Site workers can start logging in under 60 seconds with no app download and no login required. They scan a QR code placed on site, select the waste type, photograph the collection, and submit. GPS, timestamp, employee ID, and carrier details are captured automatically. Setup for a new project typically takes under 5 minutes.

Is WasteMapper free to try?

Yes. WasteMapper has a free plan that supports 1 project and 50 waste movements per month — no credit card required. Paid plans start at £49/month for single-site contractors (Site plan). The Pro plan at £199/month covers up to 10 projects with multi-site dashboards, ESG reporting, and compliance alerts.

Does WasteMapper integrate with the GOV.UK Digital Waste Tracking service?

Yes. WasteMapper creates digital waste records that are compatible with DEFRA's DWT reporting requirements. The Intelligence plan (£499/month) includes full DEFRA API integration for automated submission — removing the need for manual data exports as the October 2026 deadline approaches.

What does CBDU mean on a waste carrier registration?

CBDU is the prefix for upper-tier waste carrier registrations issued by the Environment Agency in England. CB = Carrier/Broker, D = Dealer, U = Upper-tier. A registration starting with CBD (without U) is a lower-tier registration, which only allows the holder to carry their own business waste — not waste from other producers. Always ensure the registration starts with CBDU, not just CBD.

What should I do if a carrier's licence comes back invalid?

Do not allow the carrier to collect from your site. Using an unregistered carrier is a breach of your duty of care under the Environmental Protection Act 1990, regardless of whether the carrier tells you their registration is "being renewed" or "in the post." The fine for using an unregistered carrier is up to £5,000 for the waste producer — not the carrier. Ask the carrier to show documentation and contact the EA directly if needed.

Is it my responsibility as a contractor to check the carrier's licence?

Yes. As the waste producer (the construction contractor), you have a legal duty of care under Section 34 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 to take all reasonable measures to ensure your waste is handled by authorised businesses. This includes verifying that every carrier holds a valid waste carrier registration before they collect from your site. If waste is mishandled or fly-tipped, a contractor without evidence of carrier verification faces enforcement action and liability.

Does the carrier licence checker work for Scottish construction sites?

Yes. Switch to the Scotland tab to check against the SEPA (Scottish Environment Protection Agency) Electronic Public Register. In Scotland, waste carriers must hold a SEPA registration — EA registrations (CBDU) are for England only and are not valid for Scottish waste movements. Scotland's Digital Waste Tracking mandate comes into force on 1 January 2027 under SEPA.

How often should I check a carrier's licence?

You should verify a carrier's licence registration every time they collect from your site, not just once when you first engage them. EA registrations can be suspended, cancelled, or allowed to lapse at any time. A registration that was valid last month may not be valid today. WasteMapper verifies carrier licences automatically on every movement log, creating a permanent duty of care record for each collection.

Tools/Carrier Licence Checker/How to use

Live EA & SEPA register check · Free · No sign-up

How to check a waste carrier licence

Verify a carrier registration number live against the EA register (England) or SEPA register (Scotland) before every collection. Using an unregistered carrier can result in a fine of up to £5,000 for the waste producer.

Open the Carrier Licence Checker

What the results mean

Green — Active registration found

The carrier holds a valid registration on the EA or SEPA register. Record the number on your Waste Transfer Note.

Red — Not found or expired

Do not allow the carrier to collect. The registration may be expired, cancelled, or the number may be incorrect.

Step-by-step

Open the Carrier Licence Checker

Go to the free checker — no account or sign-up required. Works on mobile so you can check from site.

Select your jurisdiction

Choose England (EA register) for all English sites, or Scotland (SEPA register) for Scottish sites. A carrier registered in England is not automatically registered in Scotland — check the correct register for your site location.

Type the carrier registration number

Enter the number from the carrier's paperwork. For England, upper-tier registrations start with CBDU. For Scotland, SEPA registrations typically start with WCN. The check runs live as you type.

Make sure the registration starts with CBDU (upper-tier), not just CBD (lower-tier). Lower-tier only covers the carrier's own waste.

Read the live result

Green = active registration confirmed on the register. Red = not found or expired — do not allow collection. Amber = register temporarily unavailable — try again shortly.

Record the result on the Waste Transfer Note

Note the registration number and verification result on your Waste Transfer Note before the vehicle leaves. Keep WTNs for at least 2 years — this is your duty of care evidence.

Frequently asked questions

What is an EA upper-tier waste carrier registration?

The licence required for businesses that carry other people's controlled waste in England commercially. Upper-tier registrations start with CBDU. Lower-tier (CBD without U) only covers carriers transporting their own waste.

What does CBDU mean?

CB = Carrier/Broker, D = Dealer, U = Upper-tier. Always ensure the registration starts with CBDU, not CBD — lower-tier carriers cannot legally collect construction site waste.

What if the result comes back invalid?

Do not allow the carrier to collect. Using an unregistered carrier breaches your duty of care under the Environmental Protection Act 1990. The fine is up to £5,000 — payable by you as the waste producer, not the carrier.

Is it my responsibility to check?

Yes. As the waste producer you have a legal duty of care under Section 34 of the EPA 1990 to verify every carrier before they collect from your site. If waste is fly-tipped and you can't prove you checked the licence, you face enforcement action.

Does this work for Scottish sites?

Yes — switch to Scotland mode to check the SEPA register. EA registrations (CBDU) are England-only and not valid in Scotland.

How often should I check?

Every collection — not just when you first engage a carrier. Registrations can lapse at any time. WasteMapper verifies automatically on every movement log so nothing slips through.

Verify every carrier automatically on every movement

WasteMapper checks the EA register on every log, flags expired licences instantly, and records the verification result permanently on every Waste Transfer Note.

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