Guides › Councils and HWRCs
Running it · Councils
- For
- Councils and their contractors
- Rule
- Reg 4(2)
- Checked
- 17 OCTOBER 2026
Councils and HWRCs: what digital waste tracking covers
There's no blanket exclusion for councils. The duty falls on the operator of any permitted site that receives controlled waste. England's one carve-out is household waste residents bring to the council's HWRC.
- England HWRC
- Household waste deposited by residents isn't reported.
- Wales HWRC
- GOV.UK say an HWRC in Wales doesn't have to use the service.
- Still in
- Permitted transfer stations, depots, landfills and treatment sites a council runs.
- Registering
- Defra's service asks if you're a local authority. Councils answer Yes.
The HWRC exclusion, exactly
In England, regulation 4(2) lifts the duty when both are true Reg 4(2):
- the site is one the waste disposal authority provides for residents to deposit household waste, under
section 51(1)(b) of the Environmental Protection Act 1990; and
- the waste is deposited by someone living in that authority's area, or outside it under the authority's own
arrangements.
GOV.UK put it as household waste from residents at an HWRC in England GOV.UK. The
regulation names residents' deposits only, so other loads arriving at the same site are worth checking with
the Environment Agency.
What a council still reports
- Permitted sites that receive waste: waste transfer stations, depots that take in waste, landfills,
composting and treatment sites. One record per load, within two working days.
- Run by a contractor? The duty is on the operator of the permitted facility
Reg 4(1). Agree in writing who reports.
- Loads you send on are reported by the site that receives them.
Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland
In Wales, GOV.UK say an HWRC doesn't have to use the service; other permitted council sites do. Scotland and
Northern Ireland start on 1 January 2027 under their own rules:
what's known so far.
Registering a council
Sign in from GOV.UK's Report receipt of waste page and answer Yes to “Are you
registering as a local authority?”. Signing in, step by step.
Byrne Waste Tracking sends each load to Defra automatically once you've linked your Defra account. £89 per site per month, no contract. Join before 1 November 2026 and nothing is due until 1 November; join from 1 November and you get 14 days free. Pricing in full.
Straight answers
Questions people ask
Do councils have to use digital waste tracking?
Yes, for permitted sites they run that receive controlled waste. In England the exclusion covers only household waste residents deposit at the council's HWRC.
Do HWRCs need to report to Defra?
In England, not for household waste deposited by residents. In Wales, GOV.UK say an HWRC doesn't have to use the service.
Who reports if a contractor runs the council's site?
The duty is on the operator of the permitted facility. Agree in writing who that is and who sends the records.
How does a council register with Defra?
Through GOV.UK's Report receipt of waste page. The service asks whether you're registering as a local authority, and councils answer Yes.
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