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Latest news from Packaging Innovations & Empack
Police-style powers to be given to environment officers to tackle waste criminals
- Officers would be able to intervene earlier, seize evidence, and dismantle criminal waste networks by targeting financial flows.
- Waste crime is being formally treated as serious organised crime, recognising its £1 billion annual cost to the UK economy.
- The upcoming Waste Crime Action Plan will tighten controls across the waste‑handling ecosystem.
- Enforcement bodies may share intelligence with banks to prevent criminals accessing financial services.
Chief Executive of the Environment Agency Philip Duffy said:
“Waste crime causes misery across communities, and we have significantly stepped up our response to it already. But we are not standing still.
“While having more boots on the ground is important in tackling these criminal networks, we also need to make sure our officers have as many powers as possible to bring them down.
“But we can’t do this on our own. We are working closely with the police and local government. And we need the eyes and ears of the public to report potential dumping through Crimestoppers or our incident hotline. Working together, we can drive criminals out of our waste sector.”
Crime and Policing Minister Sarah Jones said:
“Fly-tipping is an attack on our countryside, our communities, and the environment we all share.
“We will give the Environment Agency the power they need to crack down on these reckless criminals.”
122 prosecutions and 1,205 illegal waste sites were shut down between 2024 and 2025, with new penalties including up to five years in prison for illegal waste transport or disposal.
Why this matters for packaging & processing
For packaging producers, converters, and recyclers:
- Stricter enforcement will accelerate requirements for traceable, compliant waste‑handling processes.
- Companies using recycled content must ensure materials come from legitimate and fully audited sources.
- The shift signals increasing governmental commitment to closing the loop and reducing environmental harm – aligning with the industry’s push toward circular packaging systems.
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Latest news from Packaging Innovations & Empack
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