What does "approved software" mean in the digital waste tracking regulations?

The regulations use "approved software" as a defined term: a digital waste record means a record made using it. That is a narrower and more specific thing than appearing on a published list of providers. Whether the two are the same is a question that the published guidance does not answer directly. What DEFRA has told us in writing, on 10 September 2026, is that no listed provider may advertise its software as DEFRA approved, endorsed, certified or accredited: that is a term of the credentials every provider agreed to, and a plain factual statement that a product is on the published list is what the terms allow.

Digital waste tracking

Is a provider on the GOV.UK list DEFRA-approved?

Q: Is a provider on the GOV.UK list DEFRA-approved?

Not in the sense the phrase suggests. Being on the list means the provider has integrated with the Report receipt of waste service and been through DEFRA’s production approval tests. DEFRA does not endorse or recommend any provider on it, and says so. Treat "DEFRA-approved" in a vendor’s marketing as their own wording rather than a status DEFRA has conferred.

Last checked 10 September 2026

Not in the sense the phrase suggests. Being on the list means one thing, and it is a real thing: the provider has integrated with the Report receipt of waste service and has been through DEFRA’s production approval tests. DEFRA does not endorse, recommend or rank any provider on it, and says so on the page itself.

So when a vendor says it is “DEFRA-approved”, that is their wording rather than a status DEFRA has conferred on them. It is worth knowing which of the two you are being sold.

What the tests actually establish

The production approval tests are a fixed set of 14 scenarios that a provider’s software has to submit correctly against the live service. Passing them is meaningful: it shows the integration works against real infrastructure, not a sandbox.

Two qualifications are worth carrying with you. First, a provider can be listed with exemptions from certain scenarios, and two rows on the list are marked that way without saying which scenarios are excluded. GOV.UK’s own guidance is to ask the provider. Second, passing the tests says nothing about whether the rest of the product is finished, supported, or suitable for your site.

“Approved software” is a defined term, and it is narrower

The regulations that create the duty use approved software as a defined term: a digital waste record means a record made using it. That is a specific legal concept, and it is not obviously the same thing as appearing on a published list of providers. The guidance does not join the two up explicitly.

DEFRA has answered, and here is what they said. On 8 September 2026 we put exactly this question to DEFRA’s digital waste tracking team in writing: does inclusion on the provider list make a product approved software within the meaning of the regulations? Their reply, dated 10 September 2026, pointed us to the GOV.UK list and its own disclaimer that operators must make sure the software meets their needs, and then said this:

“This is also part of the terms for software providers which you would have agreed as part of obtaining your credentials. These include a clear statement that you cannot advertise your software as ‘Defra accredited’, ‘Defra endorsed’, ‘Defra certified’, ‘Defra approved’ or similar. A simple factual statement and referencing the published list of compatible software, as you have done is in line with this.”

So the position is now clear, and it is contractual: no provider on the list may describe itself as DEFRA approved, endorsed, certified or accredited. That is a term every provider agreed to when its credentials were issued, and it applies to us exactly as it applies to everyone else. DEFRA did not rule on the narrower legal point, whether being listed is “approved software” within the meaning of regulation 3(3), and we are not going to pretend they did.

We describe ourselves as listed on GOV.UK, having passed all 14 production approval tests. DEFRA has told us that wording is in line with the terms, and we would still rather explain the distinction than borrow a word that is not ours.

What this means when you are choosing

Use the list as a filter, not a verdict. It tells you a product is connected. It tells you nothing about whether it fits your site.
Ask about exemptions directly and get the answer in writing, particularly if you handle hazardous waste.
Discount the word “approved” in marketing on all sides. DEFRA’s terms forbid every listed provider from using it, ourselves included.

The list: GOV.UK, Report receipt of waste: choose a software provider. All of the providers on it are compared in our guide to choosing one. DutyOS Ltd is one of them and is not affiliated with DEFRA.