Waste Tracker for drivers and transporters

From 1 July 2021, drivers and transporters of reportable priority waste must let EPA know every time it changes hands.

EPA’s new waste tracking system, Waste Tracker, helps drivers and transporters comply with this new responsibility. Waste Tracker replaces EPA’s former electronic waste transport certificate system.

Transporters must ensure all drivers are trained

All transport companies must ensure that drivers transporting reportable priority waste have undertaken EPA approved driver training. Transporters can use any training course that achieves the learning outcomes and competencies listed within Requirements for EPA Approved Driver Training Courses.

About Waste Tracker for drivers and transporters

If you’re a driver or transporter, you must enter the details of each load you pick up into Waste Tracker. This includes details such as when you collect and drop off waste.

In Waste Tracker, you can:

Getting set up in Waste Tracker is a six-step process

STEP ONE - Transport companies and sole trader drivers must complete business set up form

The business set-up form links your employees to your business. It allows you to add your drivers. Sole trader drivers will also need to complete this form.

Complete the business set-up form now.

EPA is receiving a large number of forms to process. Allow three working days for us process your information. We’ll send you a confirmation email when we’ve processed it.

For an update on the progress of your form, contact us via wastetracker@epa.vic.gov.au
STEP TWO – Transport administrators and drivers must create and activate an EPA Portal account
- Sign-up for an EPA Portal account
- Verify your email address and create a password
- Sign into Waste Tracker to activate your account
Every Waste Tracker user must have a unique email address. You can not use the same email address for more than one account.

Get help to create an EPA Portal account.
STEP THREE – Transport companies must invite drivers to connect to Waste Tracker

When you have received your confirmation email from EPA, you can invite your drivers to connect to you in Waste Tracker. Sole trader drivers will need to add themselves as a driver.

Invite your drivers now.
STEP FOUR – Drivers must accept the invitation from the transporter

You won’t be able to move waste until you accept the invite. Sole trader drivers need to accept the invite from themselves.

Learn how to accept the invite now.
STEP FIVE – Drivers should download the Waste Tracker App

You can use Waste Tracker on-the-go if you use the app. You can also use Waste Tracker through the EPA Portal, but the app lets you work offline. It will save your data and then upload it when you’re back online.

Download the app to your Android device.

Download the app to your Apple device.
STEP SIX – Drivers must sign up to use the Waste Tracker app

Make sure you haven’t skipped steps one to five. Sign into the Waste Tracker app with the log in details you used to create your EPA Portal account.

You won’t see any waste records in the app until the transporter has added you to their account and assigned you a pick-up.

Drivers can only see the records that are allocated to them by the transport company. Transporters provide exclusive access by inviting a driver to connect in Waste Tracker.

Transporters can also remove a connection to a driver. You may wish to do this if a driver is no longer working for you. If you remove a driver, they can no longer transport waste on your behalf. You’ll need to reassign active jobs to other drivers.

Transporters must record information in Waste Tracker

Transporters can create records on behalf of a producer if they are authorised by the producer to do so. They can do this by using the information about the waste that the producer has provided to them. If a transporter creates a record on behalf of a producer, they can email a copy of the waste record to the producer.

Transporters must record the details of the driver they have assigned to transport the waste. It’s possible to change a driver once they have been assigned. Learn how to change a driver.

Transporters can choose another receiver other than the one chosen by the producer. Any changes to the receival site are recorded in Waste Tracker. Under new laws, reportable priority waste must go to a lawful place.

Driver guidance

Drivers must have a portal account to connect with transporters they work for. A transporter will invite you to link up with them via email, which will direct you to sign up for a portal account.

Once a driver has accepted an invitation from the transporter, they are connected in Waste Tracker. Drivers can connect to multiple transport businesses. Learn how to accept an invitation.

Once linked, the transporter can assign waste records for pickup to a driver.

Drivers need a mobile device to use Waste Tracker

Drivers must have a mobile device with internet connection to work in Waste Tracker. This is because the GPS in the Waste Tracker mobile app records your location information at pickup and drop-off.

The app can store information when there is no internet connection. When the connection is restored, the information syncs and uploads.

Multiple drivers can share the same device but they need to log in to Waste Tracker using their own login details.

How drivers use Waste Tracker

Drivers must use Waste Tracker at both pickup and drop-off. They must also understand what the waste they’re picking up is, where it’s going and ensure it gets to a lawful place.

To do this, sign into Waste Tracker, either through EPA’s portal or the Waste Tracker mobile app. Once signed in, you can enter or search for the waste record number.

Enter the following details for each waste record at pickup:

the vehicle being used to transport the waste
vehicle registration number
trailer registration number (if applicable); note – you may need to enter the vehicle identification number (VIN), the permission ID and other vehicle details
waste details
amount of waste
package type
any discrepancies from what’s detailed in the waste record.

At drop-off, in real time, you can confirm delivery status and drop-off details.

EPA takes driver safety seriously and expects that drivers will comply with the law and only use their devices when the vehicle is parked.

Drivers can also use their radio to call in the pick-up and drop-off information.

Multiple collection loads

Waste Tracker has features to help drivers who pick up multiple collections of the same waste type in a single load. These loads are sometimes called ‘milk runs’.

A separate waste record is created by or on behalf of the waste producer for each individual collection in the load. These can then be grouped together by the transporter to efficiently allocate work to drivers. The driver must verify the amount and type of waste at each collection.

Other Waste Tracker functionality for multiple collection loads includes:

add or remove records to a grouped record
assign a grouped record to a driver
driver enters their vehicle information once for the grouped waste load
pick up waste within a grouped record
reject records – either single records from a group or the entire group
unload the entire group in one action. Drivers do not need to choose each record to drop them off
receive the entire group in one action.

The accredited agent role will not exist after 1 July. You don’t need to be an accredited consigner to pick up multiple collections in a single load.

Users performing multiple roles

If you perform multiple roles, you must do each of these in Waste Tracker, separately. For example, if you’re both a producer and a transporter you must go through both steps in the process. This means you would create the waste record and then assign yourself as the transporter. You’ll then need to assign the driver.

Learn how to start using Waste Tracker.