Waste crime costs the UK economy approximately £1bn per year, through harmful activity such as fly-tipping. The Environment Agency’s new Waste Crime Unit is set to ensure that waste crime doesn’t pay.
Illegal operators frequently charge less for waste services because they cut corners, such as pollution prevention measures. The new Unit will carry out financial investigations, including account freezing orders, and tackle the money laundering side of the criminal activity that blights our communities and shared environment.
The EA has made it clear whether you are a business, householder, or local council, you have a duty of care to ensure your waste is handled safely and correctly. Your legal responsibilities do not end when you hand over your waste to another business.
Your waste management supplier should be enthusiastic about the EA’s new enforcement measures. Construction firms, commercial businesses, and local authorities depend on their waste management provider to deliver the correct documentation and ensure they remain legally compliant. Our customers value the added level of transparency offered by our skip-specific waste reporting system.
It’s very easy to check whether your waste disposal is lawful. You can find out whether a site is permitted and whether the person who collects your waste is a registered waste carrier on the government website:
🔗 https://www.gov.uk/guidance/access-the-public-register-for-environmental-information
There are lots of signs to look out for. Some obvious red flags include:
🌫️ Smoke caused by constant burning
💧 Water pollution
🚛 Waste going into a site but not coming out, with increasing quantities of waste stockpiled on site
💰 Advertising suspiciously low waste disposal prices
📃 Lack of documentation, such as Waste Transfer Notes
If you suspect that a site or waste collection business is operating illegally, you should always report it.
They pose a risk to your business and a threat to local economies.
