The UK government has announced a strategy to combat the escalating issue of fly-tipping, introducing measures that include the seizure and destruction of vehicles used in illegal waste dumping, as well as stricter penalties for offenders.
Under the new plan, local councils will collaborate with police forces to identify and confiscate vehicles involved in fly-tipping activities. Advanced technologies such as drones and mobile CCTV units will be deployed to detect and track these vehicles.
Once seized, the vehicles may be crushed or sold, with the associated costs charged to the offenders, alleviating the financial burden on taxpayers.
In addition to vehicle-related measures, individuals found guilty of illegally transporting or disposing of waste could face prison sentences of up to five years. The Environment Agency is set to receive increased resources to conduct thorough background checks on waste operators and enforce compliance through permits, fines, and the revocation of licenses.
Environment Secretary Steve Reed emphasised the urgency of addressing waste crimes, stating, “Waste criminals and fly-tippers who blight our towns and villages have gone unpunished for too long. That ends today. The government is calling time on fly-tipping.”
Philip Duffy, Chief Executive of the Environment Agency, supported the initiative, noting, “Waste crime is toxic. Criminals’ thoughtless actions harm people, places, and the economy, blighting our communities and disrupting legitimate businesses.”
Misery and Blight
The announcement comes in response to a reported 6% increase in fly-tipping incidents in England over the past year, with over 1.15 million cases recorded. The government aims to reverse this trend through the implementation of these stringent measures.
CIWM’s Director of Policy, Communications and External Affairs, Dan Cooke, said: “Fly-tipping and waste crime at all levels continues to cause misery and anxiety to people and communities across the UK. Importantly it also restricts the opportunities for local economies to thrive, as well as often causing real environmental harm.
Any additional powers and resources for local authorities and regulators to tackle fly-tipping and other waste crime in a cohesive and coordinated way is therefore positive and CIWM looks forward to the detail on these measures.
“The facts on increasing levels of fly-tipping, combined with an often ad-hoc and ineffective approach to prevention and enforcement, are clear and must be addressed. Any additional powers and resources for local authorities and regulators to tackle fly-tipping and other waste crime in a cohesive and coordinated way is therefore positive and CIWM looks forward to the detail on these measures.
“We’ll continue to work with CIWM members, local authorities and regulators to promote best practice and deploy all available resources in the ongoing pursuit of high-quality environments enabling thriving local economies for businesses and communities.”
Country Land and Business Association (CLA) President Victoria Vyvyan said: “Rural crime blights the countryside, and action is badly needed. The number of incidents is rising, but enforcement actions, fixed penalty notices and total number of court fines are all down year-on-year. This cannot go on.
Councils are working tirelessly to counter thousands of fly-tipping incidents every year, including by prosecuting criminal gangs, but the burden of proof is high and fines often fail to match the severity of the offence committed.
“Some local authorities are already seizing vehicles of fly-tippers, but last year two councils accounted for more than 60% of seizures so these powers need to be used much more widely to send a serious message to these environmental criminals.
“The CLA is supportive of closer co-operation and information sharing between the police, local authorities and the Environment Agency to help them identify and prosecute fly-tippers.”
Cllr Adam Hug, environment spokesperson for the Local Government Association, said: “Fly-tipping is inexcusable and makes residents’ lives a misery by creating an eyesore, polluting the environment and presenting a serious public health risk.
“Making it easier for councils to use existing powers to seize vehicles involved in fly-tipping is helpful, provided they can recover the full cost of doing so from perpetrators.
“Councils are working tirelessly to counter thousands of fly-tipping incidents every year, including by prosecuting criminal gangs, but the burden of proof is high and fines often fail to match the severity of the offence committed.
“We continue to urge the Government to review sentencing guidelines for fly-tipping so that offenders are given bigger fines for more serious offences to act as a deterrent, alongside maximum five-year sentences.
“Manufacturers should also contribute to the costs to councils of clear up, by providing more take-back services so people can hand in sofas, old furniture and mattresses when they buy new ones.”