Environment Agency Announce 10 Point Action Plan to Combat Waste Crime
| The Environment Agency (EA) has announced a strengthened and expanded national programme to combat waste crime across England which is deemed a rapidly escalating issue costing the economy over £1 billion every year.
Despite ongoing enforcement efforts, under-reporting remains a significant challenge for the EA, with only around 27% of waste crimes currently reported. This limits visibility into the full scale of illegal activity. Over the 2024/25 period, the Environment Agency shut down 743 illegal waste sites, brought 229 sites into regulation, and supported 37 Joint Unit for Waste Crime operations, which resulted in 40 arrests. Over the three years to March 2025, the Agency also secured 211 prosecutions, leading to £640,000 in fines. To build on this progress and stay ahead of evolving waste crime tactics, the Environment Agency is launching an accelerated and sustained programme to “strengthen prevention, improve detection and deliver more consistent enforcement”. Key actions include: · Faster intelligence handling and a more consistent response · Earlier intervention on larger sites · A new unit to improve national understanding of waste crime · Greater transparency to engage communities · Naming operators involved in illegal activity · Involvement in waste crime will put permits at risk · Expanding partnership working nationally and locally · Identifying sites at risk of waste dumping · Acting on persistent poor operator performance · Closing loopholes and tightening controls The Environment Agency emphasises that tackling waste crime requires a united effort across communities, businesses, and enforcement bodies. The public are urged to report suspected waste crimes and verify waste carriers using the public register. For further details on the key actions, click here to visit the Environment Agency’s website.
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