AMID a Government clampdown on rogue waste operators to clean up Britain's streets, the Environment Agency has on:- Wednesday, 28 May 2025, published new heatmaps showing the densest areas of waste crime reports in England. 

Across England, 16,773 reports of suspected waste crime were submitted from:- 1 January 2023, to 31 December 2024. Here in Greater Manchester, Merseyside and Cheshire, the Environment Agency received 1541 reports of waste crime.

With the data demonstrating that criminals blighting:- Towns, Cities, and our countryside, are active across the country, including here in:- Greater Manchester, Merseyside and Cheshire, the Environment Agency is urging the public to report more suspected offending as it looks to shut rogue operators out of the waste industry for good.

Waste criminals cost the economy an estimated £1 billion every year. Estimates suggest a staggering 34,000 million tonnes of waste is illegally managed annually, enough to fill Wembley Stadium 30 times over or 4 million skips; but the true scale of offending is likely far greater due to under.reporting of incidents.

Under their Plan for Change, the Government has confirmed rogue operators caught transporting and dealing with waste illegally will face up to 5 years in prison under new legislation. Longer prison sentences for rogue waste operators and new powers for Councils to crush vehicles involved in waste crime will act as a strong deterrent and ensure the full force of the law comes down hard on those trashing the nation's communities.

Ian Crewe, Area Director at the Environment Agency, said:- “Waste crime is not a victimless offence, it harms our environment, undermines legitimate businesses, and impacts communities across:- Greater Manchester, Merseyside and Cheshire. These new heatmaps show just how widespread the problem is. We're urging the public to play their part by reporting suspected waste crime and always using registered waste carriers. Every report helps us take action and protect our communities from the damage waste criminals cause.”

Circular Economy Minister Mary Creagh said:- “Through our Plan for Change, the government will crack down on the waste cowboys, seize and crush fly tippers' vans, and clean up Britain. We will not stand idly by while organised crime groups profit from an avalanche of rubbish burying our communities and undercutting legitimate business."

The Environment Agency's National Waste Crime Survey shows just 25% of all waste crime incidents are thought to be reported. Every piece of information the Environment Agency receives is crucial in helping them to bring offenders to justice. The earlier an incident is reported to the regulator, the quicker it can deal with it and prevent an escalation.

To do so, the public can submit reports via the Environment Agency's 24-hour incident hotline on:- 0800807060, or to Crimestoppers via their website or by calling:- 0800555111, which is always 100% anonymous.

To prevent criminals getting their hands on waste in the 1st place, the public is urged to use only waste carriers listed on the public register to take away their rubbish.

Jacob Hayler, Executive Director of the Environmental Services Association, said:- “Waste crime harms the environment, damages communities and threatens legitimate waste services. As citizens, we each have a duty of care, not only to stop our waste from falling into the wrong hands, but to report suspected illegal handling and dumping of waste when we see it; helping the regulatory authorities to catch and punish those responsible.”

Dan Cooke, Director of Policy, Communications and External Affairs at CIWM, said:- “Waste crime at all levels continue to cause misery and anxiety to people and communities across the UK. Importantly, it also restricts the opportunities for local economies to thrive, as well as often causing real environmental harm. We'll continue to work with CIWM members, local authorities, and regulators to promote best practice and deploy all available resources in the ongoing pursuit of high-quality environments enabling thriving local economies for businesses and communities.”

The publication of the heatmaps comes amid the Environment Agency's ongoing #WasteCrimeWednesday social media campaign, which targets the public, the waste industry, and waste criminals themselves as the regulator looks to stop waste crime for good.

As the environmental regulator for waste businesses operating in England, the Environment Agency uses an intelligence.based approach with its partners to bring waste criminals to justice through tough enforcement action and prosecutions. Its investigations helped secure numerous convictions in relation to waste crime in 2023 and 2024.