Does DEFRA Phase 1 apply to my site?

Frequently asked questions

I'm a carrier, not a receiving site. Does Phase 1 apply to me?

Not directly. Phase 1 is the Receipt of Waste mandate for permitted or licensed receiving sites. Carriers, brokers and dealers are covered by Phase 2, a separate, later mandate whose technical schema DEFRA hasn't published yet.

My site is in Scotland or Northern Ireland. When does Phase 1 start for me?

From 1 January 2027. England and Wales moved first, on 1 October 2026, as the first wave of the same UK-wide Phase 1 rollout.