Waste criminals could soon face police-style powers as the
government steps up its crackdown on the crime.
Under a new zero-tolerance approach, the government is looking to
expand powers under the Police and Criminal Evidence Act (PACE)
as well as the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 (POCA) and other
legislation to the Environment Agency and its enforcement
officers.
This would allow officers to intervene earlier, bring more
criminals to justice and hit the organised gangs behind
illegal waste where it hurts by disrupting their
finances.
The move would make the Environment Agency one of a few
organisations with these powers – a clear signal that waste crime
is being treated as a serious organised crime.
The announcement comes as the government prepares to publish its
new ‘Waste Crime Action Plan', which will set out a tough
approach to these costly crimes - from fly-tipping to large
illegal waste sites.
As waste sites emerge across the country, the new
measures will help restore pride in our neighbourhoods, boost
community spirit and support the government's wider Pride in
Place programme.
The government is also exploring how enforcement bodies can share
information with banks and finance companies to inform them of
waste criminality, so they can make informed decisions on whether
to keep doing business with the waste
criminals.
Environment Secretary said:
“Waste crime is a disgrace. It blights our countryside and
communities, damaging our environment and economy.
“That is why we are taking decisive
action. We're giving the Environment Agency the
police-like powers they need to stop waste criminals in their
tracks and bring those responsible swiftly to justice.”
Chief Executive of the Environment Agency Philip Duffy
said:
“Waste crime causes misery across communities, and we have
significantly stepped up our response to it
already. But we are not standing
still.
“While having more boots on the ground is important in tackling
these criminal networks, we also need to make sure our officers
have as many powers as possible to bring them
down.
“But we can't do this on our own. We are
working closely with the police and local government. And we need
the eyes and ears of the public to report potential dumping
through Crimestoppers or our incident hotline. Working together,
we can drive criminals out of our waste
sector.”
Crime and Policing Minister said:
“Fly tipping is an attack on our countryside, our communities,
and the environment we all share.
“We will give the Environment Agency the power they need to crack
down on these reckless criminals.”
Any laws would be introduced when parliamentary time allows, but
this shows which side the Government
is on: hardworking, law-abiding people who
expect their streets to be clean.
The Joint Unit for Waste Crime (JUWC), which brings
together multiple organisations including police forces and the
National Crime Agency, has expanded to 20 specialists. This
includes former police officers, intelligence analysts and
financial investigators.
From July 2024 to the end of 2025, the Environment Agency secured
122 prosecutions, leading to 10 immediate custodial sentences,
and shut down 1,205 illegal waste sites.
Under new legislation, waste criminals caught transporting and
dealing with waste illegally will face up to five years in
prison.
Waste crime costs the economy £1 billion every year, with the
criminal networks behind this criminality becoming increasingly
sophisticated and causing serious harm to communities and the
environment.
