We just passed DEFRA's Production Acceptance Testing. Here's what that actually means for you.
Wastrio has passed DEFRA's Production Acceptance Testing. We're live on the Digital Waste Tracking system, submitting real waste movements and receiving Waste Tracking IDs back from DEFRA's Receipt of Waste API.
Not many software providers can say that right now. The approval process is demanding and DEFRA doesn't hand out production credentials lightly. That's a good thing. It means the software that does get approved actually works the way it's supposed to.
But this post isn't about us. It's about you, and the decision you need to make before October.
Not all "digital" means DEFRA-connected
There's a lot of waste software on the market. Weighbridge systems, waste management platforms, ERPs, spreadsheet tools. A lot of them will tell you they're ready for Digital Waste Tracking.
But there's a difference between handling waste data and actually submitting it to DEFRA. If your software can't connect to the Receipt of Waste API and get a Waste Tracking ID back, it's not compliant from October. You'll still need something else.
That distinction is going to catch a lot of people out.
What makes Wastrio different
Most software in this space serves one side of the transaction. Either the carrier or the receiving site.
Wastrio connects both in a single shared record that goes straight to DEFRA. The carrier signs on the spot, the receiving site completes the record, and it's submitted as one movement. No chasing paper, no duplicate entry, no follow-up calls to get a missing signature.
That matters because a WTN is a two-party document. If your system only captures your half, someone still has to chase the other half. That doesn't change just because the form is on a screen instead of a clipboard.
Five questions to ask before you sign anything
Whether you're looking at Wastrio or anyone else, these are the questions that actually matter:
1. Are you connected to DEFRA's Receipt of Waste API right now?
Not "working on it". Not "on the roadmap". Connected. Submitting. Getting Tracking IDs back. Yes or no.
2. Have you passed Production Acceptance Testing?
This is DEFRA's quality gate. Without it, a provider can't submit to the live system. If the answer is no, ask when, and get a date in writing.
3. Do you connect both the carrier and the receiving site in one record?
If not, who handles the other side? Where does the carrier signature come from? How does the data match up?
4. What does it actually cost?
Enterprise weighbridge systems can run into thousands a month. If you're a single-site operator doing a couple of hundred movements, you don't need enterprise software. You need something that does the job without costing more than the problem it solves.
5. Can I see the actual software working?
Not a slide deck. Not a brochure. The real thing, end to end. Creating a WTN, signing it, completing it, seeing the finished document. If all they can show you is screenshots, ask yourself why.
October is four months away
The deadline has moved twice before. It's not moving again. The infrastructure is built, the API is live, the EA's enforcement budget has been quadrupled, and sites that aren't submitting digitally from October are in breach of their permit conditions.
If you want to see what a compliant digital WTN workflow looks like from the operator's perspective, drop me a message. Twenty minutes and you'll know whether it fits.