Waste Crime

A new fixed penalty notice has come into force for householders who don’t use a licensed waste carrier and whose waste ends up being fly-tipped. 

Key stakeholders have largely welcomed the publication of the Resources and Waste Strategy by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), calling it a “blueprint for the future” and “bold and radical”, though some reservations remain.

The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) has devised a new sector plan to make Scotland’s metal sector part of the nation’s emerging circular economy.

Following its public consultation on proposals to tackle waste crime, the government is considering introducing a new fixed penalty for householders failing their waste duty of care. 

Environment Secretary Michael Gove has been accused of having “raided” 400 staff from state environment bodies in order to plug gaps in Defra’s workforce in preparation for Brexit.

An official investigation has been launched into claims of widespread fraud and system abuse in the plastics recycling industry, with significant discrepancies between the amount of plastic claimed for through the PRN system and the amount recorded as exported by HMRC.

A jailed fly-tipper has his sentence extended after a further five allegations of waste crime came to light.

A new environmental campaign, ‘Drive out waste crime’, has been launched by SEPA to tackle the illegal transport and disposal of waste in the UK.

Waste management companies from Derbyshire and Bedfordshire have been fined after workers were injured on their premises as the HSE’s inspection into waste and recycling companies begins.