New plans will help to tackle fly-tipping

Environment Minister Jo Churchill has announced new plans to tackle fly-tipping and illegal waste exports. 

Proposals set out in two new consultations today will aim to support people and businesses to manage waste correctly. 

The reform will see increased background checks for firms who move or trade waste, as well as making it easier for regulators across the UK to take action against rogue operators. 

The plans will also see the introduction of mandatory digital waste tracking, using powers in the Environment Act to overhaul waste record keeping. 

This means those handling waste will record information from the point waste is produced to the stage it is disposed of, recycled, and reused. This will help regulators to detect illegal activity and tackle waste crime. 

The new plans build on the extra £60m given to the Environment Agency to tackle waste crime since 2014 as well as new powers to stop illegal waste sites posing a risk to the environment, including the ability to lock up sites and force rogue operators to clean up all their waste.

Environment Minister Jo Churchill said: ‘Waste criminals show complete disregard for our communities, the environment, and the taxpayer. We have disrupted these rogue operators by giving extra powers to the Environment Agency, with nearly 1,000 illegal waste sites now being shut down each year, while our new Joint Unit for Waste Crime is successfully disrupting criminal gangs, for example, prosecuting fly-tippers illegally dumping hundreds of tonnes of hazardous waste across the countryside.

‘But there is more to do. Reforming the licensing system will clamp down on abuse of the system and new mandatory digital waste tracking will greatly improve transparency in the sector and make it easier for householders to check that their waste is being disposed of legally.

‘Together, these reforms will stop criminals abusing the waste system and make it easier to prosecute offenders successfully.

‘The Government and Devolved Governments are working closely together to develop a UK-wide digital waste tracking service for those handling waste. This will help businesses comply with their duty of care with regard to waste and help them make more informed choices about how their waste is managed.