The October 2026 deadline is approaching. We’re not waiting for it.
DEFRA’s move to mandatory digital waste reporting represents a major change for waste receiving sites. From 1 October 2026, permitted and licensed sites in England and Wales will need to report waste digitally. (GOV.UK)
At Okappy, we’re already working on how we can help customers prepare.
Our aim: make reporting part of the workflow
Our approach isn’t to create another complicated system that employees have to learn. Instead, we’re looking at how DEFRA reporting can be incorporated into the Okappy workflow customers already understand.
The proposed first version builds on the existing Waste Transfer Note functionality and adds a “Submit to Defra”option. That means the process could look something like this:
- Complete the job
- Complete the Waste Transfer Note
- Submit to DEFRA
- Okappy checks the information
- Missing information is highlighted
- Submit through the DEFRA API
- Store the response and Waste Tracking ID
Rather than creating an entirely new process, the aim is to make DEFRA reporting an extension of what businesses are already doing.
What happens if something is missing?
One of the biggest challenges with compliance reporting is discovering a problem after information has already been submitted.
The proposed Okappy workflow would validate the receipt before submission. For example, it could identify missing information such as:
- Date and time received
- EWC code
- Waste description
- Weight
- Carrier registration
- Receiver authorisation
- Required hazardous waste information
The aim is to make errors understandable to the person using the system rather than presenting them as technical messages.
What happens after submission?
The proposed system would store the DEFRA response against the Okappy job.
This could include:
- Waste Tracking ID
- Submission date and time
- Submission response
- Warnings
- Errors
- User who submitted it
- Whether it was submitted manually or automatically
If information needs correcting, the proposed workflow would allow an authorised user to make the correction and resubmit.
Visibility matters too
Compliance isn’t just about submitting information. It’s about knowing what’s happening.
The proposed Okappy reporting view would allow managers to see:
- Receipts awaiting submission
- Successful submissions
- Warnings
- Failed submissions
- Receipts approaching the deadline
- Receipts that have passed the reporting window
- Corrected submissions
That could turn DEFRA reporting from something that happens in the background into something managers can actively monitor.
Where we are now?
We’re actively working with DEFRA to develop the integration. While the final testing and approval will be required before go-live, we are preparing now so our customers are ready long before the deadline.
