In 2025, of the ten largest penalties for environmental offending, four related to waste crime. (1).
Illegal waste sites are often located in countryside locations, hidden, and on what should be agricultural land. Organised crime gangs charge lower fees than legitimate operators, meanwhile legitimate waste operators pay site fees to use licensed landfill sites, depending on the amount and type of waste they are trying to dispose of. (2)
From April 2026, the new landfill tax rates are rated as standard rate (most wastes) £130.75 per tonne (up from £126.15) or lower rate (for inert or inactive wastes) £8.65 per tonne (up from £4.05). The increase follows the Retail Prices Index (RPI), but the lower rate has more than doubled, sending a stronger signal around the cost of disposing of even ‘low impact’ materials. (3)
Media reports of waste crime at an industrial scale have been reported at various sites across the country, in November 2025 approximately 21,000 tonnes of mixed waste was dumped alongside the River Cherwell in Kidlington, Oxfordshire. Subsequently the Environment Agency (EA) awarded an £8million contract for the urgent removal of the waste. (4) However, Kidlington is among eleven other larger ‘super sites’ not yet cleared. (4)
In February 2026, the EA announced a technology‑driven approach to tackling waste crime new in the form of a 33-strong drone squad, some are to be upgraded with Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) to precisely map waste sites. Data can then be used as evidence in to bring waste criminals to justice. (5)
Businesses are being reminded that they must actively review and their waste duty of care, making sure they can prove they are handling waste responsibly. The emphasis is on prevention. Regulators expect organisations not only to follow the rules, but to be able to demonstrate compliance clearly and consistently.
References
- The Challenge of Waste Crime – Signals for 2026
- Organised crime gangs dumping millions of tonnes of waste in British countryside
- Landfill Tax Rates 2026 | UK-Wide Changes Explained
- Supersized illegal waste dumps hidden across English countryside - BBC News
- Enhanced package of cutting-edge technology to combat waste crime - GOV.UK