A ‘dramatic’ increase in the closures of illegal waste sites has taken place in the last year according to the Environment Agency (EA).

Published today, the EA’s 2013 Waste Crime Report shows that its Illegal Waste Sites Taskforce shuts down 25 illicit operations every week. This has resulted in a ‘record’ total of 1,279 sites closed between April 2012 and March 2013, equating to a 70 per cent increase on the 2011/12 figures, reportedly due to the EA’s recent crackdown on illegal sites.

£1 billion cost to legitimate competition and HM treasury

It is estimated that waste crime diverts almost £1bn every year from legitimate businesses and HM Treasury.

Illegal operations reduce costs and undercut competition by not funding safe and responsible waste disposal, thereby offering collection and treatment at a lower price. They also reduce tax receipts and inhibit the growth of the sustainable waste sector according to the EA.

The 2012-13 report also details the prevention of illegal exports, serious dumping incidents and illegal waste sites where waste is burnt and or buried with no environmental safeguards in place. The EA states that these sites are a problem due to reasons such as fly infestations, acrid smoke and piles of waste affecting quality of life. They can also lead to serious pollution incidents.

Ed Mitchell, Director of Environment and Business at the Environment Agency, said: “Waste crime puts people and the environment at risk, and undermines the legitimate waste industry. We are taking tough action to deal with this problem, through the improved use of intelligence and stronger partnerships with the police and other enforcement bodies. The two year Illegal Waste Sites Taskforce has been hugely successful in slashing the number of illegal waste sites operating in England.”

‘Considerable improvement’ in understanding waste crime

Despite the increasing closure of illegal waste sites, the EA continues to produce new targets in light of recent findings. The report reveals that:

• Construction and demolition waste continues to be a problem – with construction waste present at over 25 per cent of illegal waste sites and 23 per cent of large scale illegal waste dumping incidents;
• the majority of illegal waste sites are still clustered around towns, cities and key motorway links;
• the courts confiscated over £1.3 million last year from waste criminals under the Proceeds of Crime Act; and
• scrap cars are found at a quarter of all illegal waste sites, and there were a significant number of serious waste dumps involving chemical drums, oil or fuel;

‘Everyone has a role to play in reducing illegal waste activities’, stresses Mitchell in the report: ‘by taking responsibility for the waste we produce all the way to the final reuse, recycling or disposal, we can all ensure that it doesn’t end up in the hands of illegal operators.’

“Much more needs to be done”

Following the publication of the EA Waste Crime Report today, the Environmental Services Association (ESA) has warned that continued cuts to the agency’s budget are harming its ability to combat waste crime and is particularly concerned about the £200m tax avoidance scandal being carried out by some waste operators deliberately misclassifying waste going to landfill to avoid paying the correct amount of landfill tax.

Barry Dennis, ESA Director General comments that:“ESA welcomes the Environment Agency’s efforts to crack down on waste crime – but much more needs to be done.

This report makes clear that the Agency is taking tough action to deal with waste crime but ESA is concerned that continued cuts to the Agency’s crime fighting budget will adversely affect the Agency’s good work. The Agency is still discovering over 800 new illegal sites every year, many of which were in operation for more than 12 months, and ESA is concerned that every minute that such sites are in operation they will harm the environment, blight local communities and undercut responsible operators.

The report points out that illegal waste operators are diverting as much as £1 billion per annum away from legitimate businesses and taxpayers. ESA estimates that over £200 million of this is being lost to the public purse due to illegal operators deliberately misclassifying waste going to landfill to avoid paying the correct amount of landfill tax. This figure is likely to increase until the Government clamps down on this practice.”

For more information see the Environment Agency’s website