Last week, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) opened a consultation into proposals to tackle waste crime in England and Wales, blaming criminal activity and poor performance in the waste industry for undermining efforts to improve resource efficiency.
DEFRA is consulting on proposals to give the regulators, EA and Natural Resource Wales greater assessment and enforcement power, give local authorities the power to hand out fixed penalty notices for household fly-tipping and to reform the exemptions regime within waste permitting.
The consultation document gives the estimated cost of waste crime in 2015 as at least £604million to the English economy and £15million to the Welsh economy.
The consultation closes on 15th March. Responses can be given here.