Overview
By default, Qflow derives waste management routes from facility-reported data submitted to environmental regulators (EA, SEPA, NRW). This data is used to calculate the Waste Management Return (WMR) for each record.
If your organisation has mandated routes for specific facilities — for example, where waste is managed through beneficial reuse — you can upload your own routing rules to ensure these are always applied in preference to regulatory data.
Once configured, your custom routes will be used as the first preference when calculating WMR values across your project. Where no custom route applies, Qflow will continue to fall back on facility-reported data.
Who Can Use This Feature?
Only Project Admins and Account Admins can upload and export Waste Route Imports. If you do not see this option in your project settings, contact your account administrator.
Before You Start
You will need:
- The Facility Permit IDs for the facilities you want to configure routes for
- The relevant EWC codes, if you want to apply routes at waste code level
- The year(s) the rules should apply to
- The waste route percentages for each rule (e.g. 80% Recycling, 20% Reuse), unless the facility is an exemption
Setting Up Your Configuration
1. Download the template
Navigate to Project Settings → Waste Routes and download the template. If you have previously uploaded rules, use the Export button to download your existing configuration as a starting point.
2. Fill in your routing rules
Open the file in Excel or a compatible spreadsheet application. Each row represents one routing rule. Complete the following columns:
| Column | Required | Details |
| Facility Permit ID | Yes | The Facility ID the route applies to |
| Year | Yes | The year the route applies to. Rules apply from 1st January of the specified year. To cover multiple years, add a separate row for each year |
| Waste Code (EWC) | No | A specific EWC code, or leave blank to apply the rule to all EWC codes for that facility |
| Exemption | No | Enter Yes if this facility is an exemption. Leave waste route percentage columns blank for exempted facilities |
| Waste Route Percentages | Yes (unless exemption) | Enter the percentage split across waste route types, e.g. 80% Recycling, 20% Reuse. Percentages must add up to 100% |
3. Save and upload
Save your completed file and upload it using the Import button
4. Review validation results
Before any changes are applied, Qflow will validate your file and display the results. You will see:
- The number of rows in your upload compared to your existing configuration
- Any rows that have failed validation, listed with the row reference and reason
- Any rows which have a warning following validation, but edits to these are not mandatory
Validation rules:
- EWC codes must be valid - unrecognised codes will be flagged and must be corrected before those rows can be applied
- Facility Permit IDs are checked for formatting; any that appear invalid will be highlighted as a warning, but will not block submission
- Duplicate rules for the same Facility + Year, or Facility + EWC + Year combination are not permitted
- Rows missing a Facility Permit ID or Year will be flagged as invalid
5. Confirm to apply
Once you are satisfied with the validation results, confirm to apply your configuration. Your rules will take effect on affected records upon reprocessing. See processing progress in the Events page.
Updating Your Configuration
To add, edit, or remove rules, export your existing configuration using the Export button, make your changes, and re-upload. You can:
- Add rules by appending new rows
- Edit rules by updating existing rows
- Remove rules by deleting rows
Any changes, including deletions, will be reflected on affected records upon reprocessing. To remove all rules from a project, upload a blank file.
How Qflow Uses Your Custom Routes
Once configured, custom routes are applied as follows:
WMR Source | When Applied |
| Client-defined route | A matching custom rule exists for the facility, EWC code, and year |
| Facility permit and EWC code | No custom rule; facility has reported this specific EWC code to regulators |
| Facility permit average | No custom rule; facility has not reported this EWC but has reported other data |
| Site type & waste type average | No custom rule or facility data; route derived from site type and EWC averages |
| Site type average | No custom rule or facility data; no EWC-level average available |
| Waste type average | No facility data available at all; route derived from EWC averages only |
| Unable to calculate | No data available to derive a route |
The WMR source is displayed on each record so you can see exactly how each route has been calculated.
Frequently Asked Questions
What happens if I upload a file with some invalid rows?
The entire file is paused at validation. You will need to correct the invalid rows and re-upload before any changes are applied.
Can I apply a rule to all EWC codes for a facility?
Yes, leave the Waste Code (EWC) column blank and the rule will apply to all EWC codes for that facility.
Can I apply a rule across multiple years?
Yes, add a separate row for each year you want the rule to apply to.
What if I want to remove all my custom routes?
Upload a blank file to wipe all existing rules for the project.
Will changes affect historical records?
Yes — changes are applied to all matching records upon reprocessing, including records from previous periods that fall within the specified year.
Where no custom route applies, what does Qflow use?
Qflow falls back on facility-reported data submitted to environmental regulators. The WMR source on the record will reflect which fallback method was used.