The Environment Agency will receive £45 million to strengthen waste crime enforcement as part of new government action plan.
The £45 million in funding will be spread over three years and is on top of a previously announced £5.6 million increase to the Environment Agency’s enforcement budget.
Announced as part of a new government action plan, the funding is a significant uplift of the regulator’s enforcement budget, which was £10 million in 2024/25.
The UK Government also promised to ‘directly fund’ the clean-up of some of the worst illegal waste sites in the country, including in Wigan, Sheffield and Lancashire, where a combined 48,000 tonnes of waste have been illegally dumped.
Environment Secretary Emma Reynolds commented: “Waste criminals have been damaging our communities, countryside, environment and economy for too long.”
“This action plan sends a clear message: dump illegally and you will face the full consequences.”
As part of a seperate10-point Waste Crime Action Plan, the Environment Agency said it will act earlier to shut down illegal waste activity, including through the use of restriction orders and Fixed Penalty Notices (FPNs).
Environmental law experts have told Circular Online that restriction notices have the potential to be particularly effective at combating waste crime, as an application must be heard by a Magistrates’ Court within 72 hours.
Between 2018 and 2025, the Environment Agency only applied for six restriction orders; however, it has begun to use the powers more widely this year, shutting down five illegal waste sites with restriction orders in 2026.
“This action plan sends a clear message: dump illegally and you will face the full consequences.”
The Environment Agency’s plan also promises that enforcement officers will suspend or revoke permits for carriers and operators handling waste illegally.
Commenting, Chief Executive of the Environment Agency, Philip Duffy said: “We will act earlier, faster and smarter by shutting down illegal sites before they become established, using our powers decisively to strip rogue operators of their permits, and working with police, HMRC and councils to go after criminal assets.”
“These measures will ensure we stay one step ahead of waste criminals and protect the communities, businesses and environment that they blight.”
As part of the plan, the Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs (Defra) has promised to work with the insurance industry to help farmers, businesses and landowners be covered for the cost of clearing illegally dumped waste from their land.
The government has also confirmed it will work with local authorities on a Landfill Tax Rebate scheme to address concerns that the levy is a barrier to clearing high-risk illegal waste sites.
Defra’s action plan includes a suite of measures announced this week, such as new ‘police-style’ powers for enforcement officers.
The government also announced that councils now have the power to force fly-tippers to complete 20 hours of unpaid work as part of ‘clean up squads’, potentially clearing the spots where they have dumped waste.
The Chartered Institution of Wastes Management (CWIM) welcomed the new plan to tackle waste crime.
“Aligned to the Environment Agency’s 10 Point Plan, this mix of new, innovative and strengthened measures is a substantial response to this concerning issue,” Dan Cooke, Director of Policy, Communications and External Affairs at CIWM, said.
“The scourge of waste crime causes misery and anxiety to communities affected, causing real damage to local environments and to local economies. It also undermines the legitimate resources and waste sector, but we will not be defined by it.”
“CIWM, its members, and the wider waste and recycling sector is committed to playing its part in driving towards higher professional standards across our vital services.”
“By remaining vigilant and sharing intelligence we will work alongside sector regulators to continue to disrupt and prevent criminal behaviour in our sector.”
