Electronic waste traceability: RENTRI and other international models compared

An important moment for Italian companies that generate special and hazardous waste was marked on 13 February 2026: on this date, RENTRI, the National Electronic Register for Waste Traceability, entered into full effect. 

Thousands of companies have therefore said goodbye to a paper-based system and switched to the digital Waste Identification Form (FIR). A historical change, destined to improve transparency, legality and efficiency, simplify controls, and fight illegal trafficking and irregular disposal. 


What is RENTRI 
RENTRI was introduced by the Ministerial Decree No. 59 of 4 April 2023, pursuant to Article 188-bis of Legislative Decree No. 152 of 3 April 2006 (Consolidated Environmental Act), which seeks the establishment of a national electronic register to track waste: the aim is to digitise and integrate loading/unloading registers and identification forms, providing a central platform for traceability and data transmission. 

Starting from the entry into force of the regulation on 15 June 2023, the Ministry of the Environment and Energy Security has envisioned a transitional period, divided into various phases to allow different companies to adapt gradually, depending on their size and type. The first entities subject to the obligation (waste treatment plants, transporters, intermediaries and large producers of hazardous waste) had to register by 13 February 2025; subsequently, generators of hazardous waste with between 11 and 50 employees got involved. Then, on 13 February 2026, the window for the last mandatory registration phase closed, which was reserved for producers of hazardous waste with fewer than 10 employees and some producers of non-hazardous waste. From that date on, the system became fully operational for all obligated parties. 

 

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How does the digital FIR work 
The Waste Identification Form (FIR) is the attached document to every waste shipment. With digitisation, this process is going to place entirely in electronic format (e-FIR), ensuring the authenticity of data and documents, timely and verifiable traceability, reduction of errors and simplification of checks, as well as greater transparency towards the competent authorities. Through a dedicated online portal, the form can be filled, signed and validated using digital identity tools, ensuring that the information cannot be altered and that the operators involved are directly accountable. 

The EU regulatory framework 
The Italian solution is part of a European framework increasingly focused on traceability and circularity: while a “European RENTRI” does not yet exists, there is already a regulatory basis. Directive (EU) 2025/1892, which amends the Waste Framework Directive (2008/98/EC), requires Member States to control and monitor waste streams, leaving them free to choose the most appropriate tools, provided that they comply with the monitoring and reporting objectives. In addition to this, the new Regulation on waste shipments (Reg. EU 2024/1157) encompasses the complete digitisation of cross-border procedures: from 21 May 2026, the use of a single electronic platform, the Digital Waste Shipment System (DIWASS), will be mandatory for all intra-EU shipments between Member States. 

 

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Comparing European models 
At an operational level, Italy is not the first country to have introduced an electronic waste tracking system. Several established examples already exist in Europe, each with a different degree of centralisation and mandatory compliance, which have shown how digitisation can improve data quality and reduce irregularities, albeit requiring an initial period of adaptation for businesses. 
 

• For example, the French Trackdéchets system, managed by the Ministry of Ecological Transition and active since 2022, is probably the closest model to RENTRI, often cited as a benchmark for interoperability and ease of use, based on a single national platform with APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) for businesses. 
• Since 1 April 2010, Germany on the other hand has been using the eANV (elektronisches Abfallnachweisverfahren) system, mandatory for hazardous waste, highly structured and closely integrated with the Länder. 
• In Spain, the Sistema de Información de Residuos (eSIR) coordinates regional registers, enabling various autonomous communities to operate on a common information basis: while less centralised than RENTRI, it is gradually being harmonised. 
• In the Netherlands, the Landelijk Meldpunt Afvalstoffen (LMA) gathers mandatory information on production and treatment: a consolidated system with high data quality standards, it appears suitable for statistical and regulatory control. 
• Nordic countries, such as Sweden and Finland, also use integrated digital platforms for monitoring flows, with strong interoperability between authorities and operators. 

International outlook 
Advanced traceability systems are also in place outside the EU, demonstrating a global need to record data, but also to make it as interoperable as possible, linking it to the circular economy, environmental controls and industrial policies. 
 

• In the United Kingdom, the transition to the Digital Waste Tracking Service is planned by 2026, with the aim of tracking all waste, not just hazardous waste. I was created immediately as a digital system, without any paper legacy.
• In the United States, there is no single comprehensive federal register for all waste, but the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) manages the advanced e-Manifest system, mandatory for hazardous waste. Each state may also have additional systems. 
• Finally, in Japan, the JWNET system, a well-established application for managing declarations in the industrial sector, has been in operation for years; while in South Korea, the national digital platform Allbaro is based on a strong component of interoperability between authorities and operators. 

Article written by Emanuele Bompan and Maria Carla Rota 

This blog is a joint project by Ecomondo and Renewable Matter

Credits:
Foto di Radowan Nakif Rehan su Unsplash