What to check before choosing digital waste tracking software

There are several software providers on DEFRA’s own list now, and more choice is good, but it makes “which one” a genuinely harder question than it was when there was only one option. This is a checklist for evaluating any digital waste tracking software, not a comparison of named products: the fairest starting point for that comparison is DEFRA’s own official list of software providers, not a vendor’s opinion of its competitors.

Start with DEFRA’s own list, not a vendor’s claim

DEFRA’s provider list carries its own disclaimer: using any listed software is at your own risk, and DEFRA is not responsible for liability arising from it. That’s worth reading in full before trusting any individual provider’s marketing copy, including this one.

Ask whether it was tested with or without exemptions

Every provider on DEFRA’s list has been through the Production Approval Test (PAT), a fixed set of scenarios DEFRA requires before granting production access. Some providers carry a note against specific scenarios marking them exempt. That’s not necessarily disqualifying, but it’s worth asking a provider directly which scenarios they were tested against, and whether any were exempted, rather than assuming “on the list” means “tested against everything.” Checkwright’s own results are published in full.

Check what phase it actually covers

Digital Waste Tracking has two separate phases: Phase 1 (receiving sites) and Phase 2 (carrier and broker movements). Phase 1 has a published, tested technical contract; Phase 2 does not yet. A provider claiming Phase 2 “compliance” or “readiness” today is claiming something against a schema DEFRA hasn’t published, which is worth asking directly about. See our Phase 1 vs Phase 2 guide for the detail.

Check it actually works without signal

A lot of waste collection and receipt happens somewhere with no mobile signal: a yard, a quarry, a rural site. Software that only works with a live connection isn’t really built for this job. Ask specifically what happens to a record started offline: does it save locally and sync automatically, or does it simply fail?

Check where your data is stored

UK GDPR applies regardless of which software you use. Ask where the software’s servers and backups are located, and whether that location is inside the UK/EEA or needs an additional safeguard like the UK’s International Data Transfer Agreement. A provider’s own privacy policy should state this plainly; if it doesn’t, that’s itself worth noting.

Check what happens if you leave

Ask how your records are handled if you cancel: whether you can export everything, what happens to data that’s still a live legal record (waste transfer notes are generally retained for at least two years regardless of whether you’re still a customer), and whether there’s a lock-in period.

None of the above is about any one product. It’s the same five questions worth asking whichever provider you’re actually talking to, including Checkwright.