Welcome to the WasteDataFlow Website

What is WasteDataFlow?

WasteDataFlow is the web-based system for municipal waste data reporting by UK local authorities to government. The system went live on 30 April 2004. If you are a local authority officer and wish to register for the site please Contact us. Members of other organisations or the public can register here to access published data.

The original aim of WasteDataFlow was to gradually replace the various and often repetitive waste questionnaires which were issued to local authorities by government, departments, agencies, institutions and organisations, with one essential data set. Today WasteDataFlow serves as the data collection system for the current Defra Municipal Waste Management Survey in England and similar surveys in Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland.

WasteDataFlow is designed for local authorities:

• to allow accurate data collection of municipal waste statistics, regularly and efficiently;
• to enhance their local data management for reporting and strategic planning purposes;
• to offer them streamlined access to performance benchmarking with other authorities; and

WasteDataFlow allows government:

• to monitor progress towards national and local targets;
• to produce National Statistics on municipal waste;
• to provide an evidence base to guide government policy.

How can I obtain data?

Information entered by local authorities to the individual questions in WasteDataFlow can be downloaded by the general public. Questions are completed quarterly (annually in Scotland) and the data are made available to the public once this information has been validated by the WasteDataFlow team. To register for public access to data downloads click here.

Each of the UK countries produces national statistics from the WasteDataFlow data and these are available from each department's website:

Defra Waste stats
Welsh Government - StatsWales
Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA)
Scottish Environment Protection Agency

WRAP combine WasteDataFlow outputs with data around waste and recycling schemes in their Local Authority Waste and Recycling Portal – see laportal.wrap.org.uk to register and log in to the site.
For English local authorities, past years' data can be downloaded from data.gov.uk.