Environment Agency launches National Waste Crime Survey
The survey seeks insights from industry and the public on the scale, impact, deterrence, report rate, and effectiveness of actions against waste crime, as clean up continues to cost England £1 billion annually.
The third National Waste Crime Survey (NWCS) has been launched by the Environment Agency (EA) to gather insights into the scale, impact, and deterrence of waste crime across England.
The survey, which opened yesterday (3 February) will run for three weeks to assess the effectiveness of current enforcement measures and consult on ways to prevent waste crime in the future.
The NCWS is open to those directly or indirectly affected by waste crime, including waste industry professionals, landowners and farmers, service providers, local authorities, and insurance sector representations.
The data collected will measure the perceived scale and impact of waste crime, assess the deterrents that could prevent illegal waste activities, evaluate industry and public willingness to report waste crime, and determine the effectiveness of EA actions.
Circular Economy and Waste Resources Minister, Mary Creagh, explained why the survey is needed: “Waste criminals are a scourge on society, affecting rural and urban communities equally.
“They make huge profits at the expense of the law-abiding majority, by not paying tax – not to mention the costs of cleaning up after them and making people feel unsafe in their neighbourhoods.”
Survey Questions
The survey is looking for responses on a variety of different types of waste crime, which are defined as large-scale fly-tipping, small-scale fly-tipping, illegal waste sites, illegal burning of waste, illegal international shipments of waste, and deliberate mis-description of waste.
Participants will be asked to provide insight into various aspects of waste crime, including:
- The estimated percentage of waste crime within their sector
- Which type of waste crime is the most prolific?
- The effectiveness of EA measures in deterring waste crime
- The most significant motivators for waste crime
- The accuracy of reported recycling rates for packaging and batteries
- Willingness to report waste crime incidents
The survey also examines whether waste crime is typically committed by individuals, unorganised groups, or organised groups, and whether it occurs as isolated incidents or repeated offences.
The survey was commissioned by Steve Molyneaux, Head of Waste and Resources Regulation at the EA, and is supported by the Chartered Institution of Wastes Management (CIWM), the Environmental Services Association (ESA), the United Resource Operators Consortium (UROC) and the National Farmers Union (NFU).
Although actions taken by the EA have resulted in the total number of illegal waste sites operating falling to 344 last year, waste crime continues to cost the English economy an estimated £1 billion annually.
Molyneaux commented on the importance of the survey for reducing these numbers further: “Our National Waste Crime Survey is crucial for understanding the scale of these crimes and gathering insights from those directly affected. I encourage everyone impacted by waste crime to take part.
“Your insight will enable us to continue to target waste criminals, stopping them from impacting our environment, communities, the legitimate waste management industry, and the economy.”