Tabitha Skeats, Consents Assistant (South) at FCC Environment, explains why CIWM Early Careers Ambassador can encourage collective action to tackle waste crime.
I was shocked to discover that 20% of waste produced in the UK is illegally managed – enough to fill Wembley Stadium 35 times.
Whilst picturing illegal waste in this way may make it seem glaringly obvious to spot, the reality is that waste crime is often well hidden and sometimes invisible.
The new government action plan on Waste Crime aims to crack down on illegal waste operations through increasing Environment Agency funding by £45 million to escalate enforcement.
However, this plan will not be successful if it relies on the regulator in isolation. Rather, we need people-led behavioural change to increase both transparency and traceability in our circular systems.
Before reflecting on why driving behavioural change is integral to tackling waste crime, it is worth noting what is already in place.
In March 2026, the government released a plan to tackle waste crime and focuses around three steps:
- Prevention: Enhancing regulatory conditions.
- Enforcement: Strengthening intelligence capabilities.
- Remediation: Accelerating the clearance and remediation of illegal waste sites.
This plan will have a major impact on the way waste crime is treated, particularly for larger illegal waste operations. Better use of technology through Digital Waste Tracking will increase transparency of operators’ systems. But what about the small, un-permitted sites that are cutting corners? Or the fly-tipped mattresses on the side of the road?
Whilst the reputable, legally operating businesses will face harsher rules and regulations, will criminals fall through the cracks?
Community collaboration is needed to drive real change from the root. 53% of people say waste crime negatively impacts their life, suggesting there is a motivation to drive change. I often see fly-tipped furniture on the kerbside, and it’s this type of waste crime that we, as individuals, can help to prevent.
So, what can we do? In short, change will come from continuing to spread awareness of the presence of waste crime and its impacts. Promoting the importance of responsible individual waste practices is integral to tackling the larger-scale issues.
Local communities should be encouraged to report local fly-tipping to local authorities as currently, only 27% of all waste crimes are reported.
Additionally, individuals and businesses should be more aware of what is happening with their waste and encouraged to check the reputability of their waste services.
However, while waste crime is becoming a buzzword and the importance of tackling the crime is being pushed, the government-led action plan and Environment Agency-led regulation are ultimately not enough. Waste crime awareness and behavioural change need to be addressed at a local level to truly transform transparency and traceability.
As an Early Careers Ambassador at CIWM, I feel strongly that we have the opportunity to push this narrative out and force collective action.