Phase 2: carriers, brokers and exempt sites join digital waste tracking in October 2027
Phase 1 of Digital Waste Tracking, from 1 October 2026, puts the reporting duty on permitted receiving sites, which is what makes it an ATF's problem. Phase 2 goes wider. From October 2027 the mandate extends to waste carriers, brokers and dealers, and to sites operating under registered exemptions rather than full permits.
What changes for a breaker
Practically, the people who deliver vehicles to your yard join the system. The collection driver who today hands over a paper transfer note becomes a reporting party in their own right. Receiving sites keep their duty, so nothing about your own reporting relaxes, but the paper trail either side of your gate goes digital too.
It also matters for anyone running a site under an exemption. Phase 1 does not touch exempt sites. Phase 2 is when that changes, and Defra has signalled a private beta for the wider group in autumn 2026 ahead of the 2027 start.
The sensible read for an independent yard: get your own receiving-side reporting solid in 2026, and expect your carriers to start asking about digital records during 2027. Yards that are already reporting cleanly will find that conversation easy.