Businesses and healthcare organisations across Scotland are being urged to prepare for one of the biggest changes to waste management in years, with Mandatory Digital Waste Tracking (DWT) beginning to take effect from January 1 2027.
The new system, being introduced across all four UK nations under the Environment Act 2021, is being introduced in phases.
In Scotland, permitted waste receiving sites are covered first, with the wider waste chain following later.
The move to digital tracking will gradually replace paper Waste Transfer Notes and Hazardous Waste Consignment Notes with digital records, improving traceability and helping tackle waste crime.
Waste crime - including illegal dumping, fly-tipping, fraudulent disposal records and unlawful exports - is estimated to cost the UK economy more than £1 billion a year.
Perfect Hygiene says its customers are already well placed for the transition, having invested in a fully digital infrastructure that electronically tracks waste collections, duty-of-care documentation and waste management processes.
James Linnell, General Manager at Perfect Hygiene.
James Linnell, General Manager at Perfect Hygiene, said: "The deadline may still seem some way off, but businesses should be thinking about it now. Digital Waste Tracking represents a significant change in how waste is managed and recorded, and organisations need to be confident their systems are ready.
"We've invested on behalf of our customers and already have a fully digital infrastructure that uses electronic tracking systems for all waste collections, duty-of-care documentation and management processes. As a result, our customers are well prepared for the new legislation."
Perfect Hygiene, based in Blackburn, Aberdeenshire, provides clinical waste, washroom and workplace hygiene services across Scotland. Its sister company, Perfectshine, specialises in commercial window cleaning and exterior building maintenance.
For more information on Perfect Hygiene, visit www.perfecthygiene.co.uk