An individual in Birmingham has been arrested as part of an
investigation into waste plastic packaging fraud and money
laundering, the Environment Agency has announced today (Thursday
26 March 2026).
In a dawn operation taking place yesterday (Wednesday 25 March
2026), officers from the Environment Agency worked with West
Midlands Police to arrest a 49 year old man for conspiracy to
defraud and money laundering.
The arrest relates to a complex investigation which involves
fraud within the Packaging Producer Responsibility
(PPR) regime. This is a system that allows exporters and
reprocessors, accredited by the Environment Agency, to sell
credits for packaging waste they export or recycle.
Producers of waste must then purchase these credits to help pay
towards the cost of recycling their packaging.
This investigation focuses on the unlawful selling of more than
£2 million in credits for exports that are suspected of never
actually taking place. The male was also arrested in respect of
laundering the proceeds of this crime.
Officers from the Environment Agency's Investigation
and Disruption Team are continuing their enquiries and
evidence gathered during the arrest will be assessed.
Lauren Pigg, Environment Agency's Deputy Director
for Waste Markets and Shipments, said:
This arrest sends a clear message to waste crooks - we will hunt
you down.
With West Midlands Police, we have been working relentlessly to
progress this highly complex investigation and stop this
fraudulent activity.
Through our new 10 Point Plan, we will take the fight to
waste criminals by acting faster and putting an end to the damage
they cause to our communities and environment.
The Packaging Producer Responsibility Regulations were
introduced to make producers of waste packaging, such as
glass and plastic, cover the cost of recycling and disposing
their waste.
Waste producers are required to prove they have made a financial
contribution towards recycling by buying credits from firms
which dispose of waste properly. However, the credits
have a monetary value and, in recent years, have been exploited
by criminal gangs looking to infiltrate the sector and line their
pockets. This criminal behaviour takes money away from decent
businesses and investment that could improve the UK's recycling
infrastructure.
The Environment Agency's Economic Crime Unit is working hard to
tackle money laundering and carry out financial investigations in
the waste sector.
Today's arrests mark another vital step in the Environment
Agency's war on waste crime. Last month, the Agency arrested two individuals
in Penzance as part of an investigation into waste
packaging fraud, worth more than £6 million.
The Environment Agency has also published its new 10
Point Plan to tackle waste crime, in which it set out
how it will act earlier to address illegal activity and deliver
more consistent enforcement action.
The Environment Agency will create a new Operational Waste
Intelligence and Analysis Unit to hunt down waste criminals using
every tool available – from aerial surveillance to financial data
– and ensure enforcement is faster and smarter. For the first
time, illegal waste operators will be named and shamed with
information shared across the waste sector to put waste criminals
on notice.
If a member of the public has any information that may help with
this investigation, they should call the Environment Agency's
hotline on 0800 807060. They can also report it anonymously via
Crimestoppers on 0800 555111 or their website.
