Explore the evolution of Digital Waste Control Systems across Europe, with examples from the UK (Digital Waste Tracking System), Poland (BDO), Italy (RENTRI), Spain (e-SIR) and Portugal (SILiAmb).
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Digital transformation is reshaping waste management across Europe, and understanding how different countries are adapting is now essential for organisations in the sector. In this article, we’ll examine the Digital Waste Control Systems currently in place throughout Europe. We’ll look at developments in the UK, Poland, Italy, Spain and Portugal, comparing their approaches.
We will also explore why digitalisation within the waste sector has become an unstoppable process across the continent.
Comparing Digital Waste Control Systems across Europe: Spain, Portugal, Italy, Poland and the UK
Digital Waste Control Systems are e-government platforms designed to record, centralise, and digitally control all information related to the production, movement, and management of waste within a country.
Their purpose is to replace paper-based procedures with electronic workflows that enable full traceability from the point of origin to final treatment, ensuring more effective oversight by the authorities.
These systems have emerged in a regulatory environment in which the European Union requires Member States to move towards stricter, more consistent, and more transparent oversight of waste. In recent years, several pieces of legislation have accelerated this process, prompting multiple EU and non-EU countries to develop their own national platforms.
Although they share the same goal, achieving more efficient, transparent and secure waste management, each country has designed its system with its own specific features and its own implementation timeline. Some have been mandatory for years, while others are still being rolled out.
Mandatory since 2021
A law adopted in 2020 introduced the obligation to use the e-SIR platform, the Spanish Waste Information System, which is made up of three main components:
Electronic processing is only needed for transfers that require Prior Notification. That is: all transfers of waste destined for disposal, as well as transfers of hazardous waste and certain types of mixed municipal waste, even when they are sent for recovery.
Mandatory since 2021
SILiAmb, the Integrated Environmental Licensing System, is a platform where citizens and companies can submit licensing requests and report data to the Portuguese Environment Agency, fulfilling their environmental obligations. Through SILiAmb, users can:
Mandatory for certain operators from February 2025, with a phased rollout extending to the remaining initial producers of hazardous special waste, who will also be required to register by February 2026.
RENTRI introduces a digital management model that includes:
Mandatory since 2021.
The BDO, Database for Waste, electronic register was launched in 2018 by the Ministry of the Environment, now the Ministry of Climate.
All entities operating within the waste-management sector are required to register and they must:
In Poland, there is also a second platform, SENT, an electronic system for monitoring the transport of sensitive goods, including waste.
Mandatory from October 2026 for all receiving site operators. Looking ahead to April 2027, the service is expected to expand to other operators, although the exact details have not yet been confirmed.
The system will require information to be recorded for the movement of all types of controlled waste and extractive waste.
If you're interested, we also have a dedicated TEIMAS Workshop episode focused entirely on the Digital Waste Tracking Service.
Common Features and Specific Characteristics of Digital Waste Control Systems
Spain: the operator of the transfer is the one who must issue the document. It’s often the producer, but they may delegate this task to the waste management company involved in the shipment.
Portugal: the producer is responsible, but may delegate the process to the waste management company or the transporter.
Italy: issuing transfer documents is the producer or holder’s responsibility, although this task may be delegated to the transporter.
Poland: the transfer document must be created by the waste holder before transport begins. In this case, the transporter must carry a confirmation of this document, either printed or digital, during the transfer.
United Kingdom: It is not yet definitively established (in publicly available regulation) who must issue the digital record at each point in the chain.
Spain: communication is generally mandatory only for waste transfers that require Prior Notification, which must be submitted before the movement occurs.
Portugal: communication is required in all cases. Since the document must be generated through SILiAmb, the information is provided before the transfer takes place.
Italy: communication is only required for hazardous waste movements. The notification can be submitted after the transfer, within a specified time frame.
Poland: for the KPO, both the recipient of the waste and the carrier must promptly confirm receipt in the BDO system. For certain types of waste, the notification must be submitted before the transport begins.
United Kingdom: whenever a waste-movement record is required under existing UK legislation, it must also be recorded in the Digital Waste Tracking Service.
The trend shows that digitalisation within the waste sector will continue to grow. At the European level, the European Commission will make the new DIWASS system mandatory for all cross-border waste shipments from May 2026.
DIWASS will have a dual function:
The aim is to strengthen secondary materials markets, enable recycling in the best facilities across the continent, and help combat the illegal shipment of waste.
As you can see, this transformation is unstoppable for the sector, and at TEIMAS we want to support you in making this transition as easy as possible.
TEIMAS Zero, the waste control software for large organisations, connects directly with Digital Waste Control Systems, allowing you to process documentation wherever it is required.
It also provides full traceability of the waste you generate and helps ensure regulatory compliance.
And looking ahead, having high-quality, reliable data on your resource flows will become increasingly important, both for reporting requirements and for developing effective circular-economy strategies.
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