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Waste Disposal: Monitoring

Asked by Manuela PerteghellaLiberal DemocratDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled Answered 1 July 2026UIN 12913

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions she has had with police forces on using digital waste tracking data to investigate and disrupt criminal groups operating outside the regulated waste sector, particularly those not subject to Environment Agency oversight.

Answered by Mary Creagh

The Environment Agency (EA) is working with their internal compliance and enforcement teams and external partners to ensure we maximise the potential of Digital Waste Tracking to tackle waste crime. They are developing a range of measures that cover preventative actions, faster identification of illegal activity and robust enforcement actions.

The EA also hosts the Joint Unit for Waste Crime with partners including police forces, HMRC and the National Crime Agency, which is aimed at targeting illegal waste sites, illegal dumping, and related financial fraud. The Government is represented on the oversight board for the unit by Defra officials.

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