Waste Crime

Bins on South Bank of the Thames
Simpler Recycling: Defra announces details for consistently managing England’s household waste

The announcement represents a milestone after several years of debate about the requirements to be placed on recycling collection, following the ‘Consistency in Household and Business Recycling in England’ consultation.

fly-tipping
England: Defra publishes local authority fly-tipping stats for 2021/22

Defra has published local authority fly-tipping league tables to improve transparency around the enforcement of waste crimes

Plastic waste
Earth Overshoot Day: Over 80 per cent of Britons want plastic phased out

The overshoot date can be pushed back considerably by reducing plastic waste

Waste crime fly tipping
Almost a fifth of all waste in England is illegally managed
By
Josh Templeman
| 6 July 2023 |
The figure accounts for approximately 34 million tonnes of waste across England annually, enough to fill up to an estimated 4 million skips
Flytipping
Local authorities lack funding to reach waste crime targets
By
Savannah Coombe
| 12 May 2023 |
A new poll shows that local authority Waste and Recycling Officers think that the Government’s target to eliminate waste crime by 2043 will not be reached
Waste crime day of action
EA targets waste criminals on ‘day of action’
By
Becky Goodall
| 17 January 2023 |
Officers from the Environment Agency and the Joint Unit for Waste Crime visited sites across England as part of operations to crack down on waste criminals.
shipping containers
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee: End plastic waste exports by 2027
By
Amelia Kelly
| 7 November 2022 |
The UK exports 60 per cent of the 2.5 million tonnes of plastic packaging it creates
Illegal waste site
Environment Agency: ‘Waste crime in England is endemic’
By
Savannah Coombe
| 3 November 2022 |
Only 25 per cent of waste crimes are reported and almost a fifth of waste is handled illegally 
Fire services tend to two waste fires ignited during Bonfire weekend
Fire at illegal waste site enters second month
By
Savannah Coombe
| 28 October 2022 |
South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue is entering its second month fighting the fire at Kiveton Park Industrial Estate
Defra sign
Series of recommendations issued regarding Defra’s progress on waste crime
By
Savannah Coombe
| 25 October 2022 |
Defra has been given 42 days to respond to the report
Flytipping
Government ‘closer to decriminalisation’ of waste crime than prosecution, report says
By
Savannah Coombe
| 19 October 2022 |
Defra and EA making ‘slow and piecemeal’ progress to implement the Resources and Waste Strategy
reuse shop pop up
New research from FCC Environment reveals appetite for reuse
By
Alice Lang
| 6 October 2022 |
The YouGov-led survey found that 80 per cent would like to see a reuse shop near their HWRC
Waste at the Trinity Works site at Haverton Hill
Darlington man prosecuted for waste offences
By
Amelia Kelly
| 6 September 2022 |
The 26-year-old previously pleaded guilty to involvement in illegally misdescribing waste for financial gain
fly tipping
LGA warns that ‘lenient guidelines’ lead to low fly-tipping fines
By
Amelia Kelly
| 22 August 2022 |
Findings show that the average fines issued by courts averaged £65 less than the £400 fixed penalty notice
chimney smoke
Major retailers’ garment waste burnt to fuel Cambodian kilns
By
Amelia Kelly
| 9 August 2022 |
An Unearthed investigation has identified a stream of textile waste acting as cheap fuel for brick kilns
Soft plastics
WRAP awards £1.2 million funding to global waste innovators
By
Amelia Kelly
| 28 July 2022 |
The investment aims ‘to drive forward international innovation in key regions in the world’
brownfield land
Landfill Tax rebate to assist brownfield redevelopment
By
Amelia Kelly
| 21 July 2022 |
Councils across England could receive grants to transform underused and derelict sites
Environment agency
Dereham garage owner jailed for storing end of life vehicles
By
Amelia Kelly
| 20 July 2022 |
A 65-year-old man was ordered to pay costs of £5,000 and given a six-month jail sentence
Supermarket waste
Supply chain food redistribution grew 16 per cent in 2021
By
Amelia Kelly
| 7 July 2022 |
WRAP report highlights progress, but nearly 200,000 tonnes of surplus food still goes uneaten
eu flags
EU aims to ‘end greenwashing’ with climate impact reporting
By
Amelia Kelly
| 23 June 2022 |
Large companies will need to publicly disclose management of social affairs, governance, and environmental risks
Waste crime
Defra to ‘crack down’ on waste crime
By
Emma Love
| 21 January 2022 |
Jo Churchill outlined new proposals to reform the CBD system and implement digital waste tracking
Shipping boat with containers piled atop
EEB sceptical of revised Waste Shipment Regulation proposal
By
Kai Malloy
| 18 November 2021 |
The legislation is tasked with bringing export policy in line with the waste treatment hierarchy
Carlisle North West Recycling facility fire
326 tonnes of waste burnt in Carlisle fire
By
Kai Malloy
| 11 November 2021 |
The North West Recycling facility saw mixed waste material set ablaze