Police-style powers for EA in waste crime crackdown

The government has announced plans to give Environment Agency officers police-style powers in a major crackdown on waste crime, a move welcomed by farming leaders who say rural communities are frequently targeted by illegal dumping.

Under proposals expected to form part of a new Waste Crime Action Plan, enforcement officers could be granted expanded powers under the Police and Criminal Evidence Act and the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002.

The measures would allow officers to intervene earlier, search premises and seize assets linked to organised waste crime, as well as pursue the finances of criminal gangs.

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Ministers say the tougher approach reflects the growing scale and sophistication of illegal waste activity, which costs the UK economy around £1bn a year.

Criminal networks are increasingly linked to organised crime groups and are responsible for fly-tipping, illegal waste sites and fraudulent waste disposal operations.

Defra secretary Emma Reynolds said waste crime “blights our countryside and communities”, adding that the government was taking “decisive action” by equipping the Environment Agency with powers similar to those used by police to bring offenders to justice.

Recent enforcement activity highlights the scale of the challenge. Between July 2024 and the end of 2025, the Environment Agency secured 122 prosecutions, resulting in 10 immediate custodial sentences, and closed more than 1,200 illegal waste sites.

‘Long overdue’ – NFU

The NFU said stronger powers were long overdue, warning that farmers are often left to deal with the consequences of organised waste dumping.

NFU vice-president Robyn Munt said the union welcomed tougher enforcement, describing waste criminals as a persistent threat to rural areas.

“From the elderly Hertfordshire farmer who faces a £40,000 clean-up bill after 200t of rubbish were dumped on his land, to Lincolnshire farmers dealing with waste linked to the illegal drugs trade, waste crime repeatedly plagues farmers and our countryside,” she said.

She added that current regulations were not doing enough to deter offenders, and that the proposed powers were “a step in the right direction” toward stamping out waste crime.