Morning, Wednesday, 25th November 2026
Online
This conference will examine next steps for tackling waste crime in England, with the Government’s Waste Crime Action Plan now moving into delivery and the first stage of mandatory digital waste tracking coming into force. Areas for discussion include early experience of the new tracking requirements, regulatory reform across the waste sector, effectiveness of enforcement and intelligence-led approaches, coordination between agencies and local partners, and priorities for remediation and support for those affected by illegal waste activity.
It is being organised as an opportunity for key stakeholders and policymakers to discuss how the current approach is working in practice, following increased Environment Agency enforcement activity and further measures announced over the summer. Delegates will consider latest thinking on what is needed to disrupt organised waste crime more effectively, improve accountability across the waste chain and protect legitimate operators from being undercut, alongside implications for local authorities, landowners and communities dealing with illegal dumping and its consequences.
Regulatory reform & digital tracking - implementation, prevention & next steps
The agenda will look at the next stages of regulatory reform intended to make illegal activity harder to establish and improve oversight of waste movements. This will include early experience following the start of mandatory reporting by permitted waste-receiving sites from October 2026, as well as reform of waste exemptions and the planned move from waste carrier, broker and dealer registration to a permitting-based system.
Attendees will consider what implementation means for different parts of the waste sector, whether new requirements provide regulators with the information needed to identify higher-risk activity earlier, and where gaps may remain as digital tracking is extended across the wider waste chain.
Overall, areas for discussion include:
- digital tracking: data quality and consistency - reporting burdens and systems compatibility - effective regulatory use of information - preparations for later phases
- regulatory reform: addressing risk of displaceming illegal activity - monitoring unintended effects - maintaining proportionate controls for legitimate operators
- carriers & operators: technical competence and background checks - thresholds and permit requirements - implications for smaller and lower-risk businesses
- prevention: screening and earlier intervention - targeting higher-risk activity - closing routes used by repeat and organised offenders
- accountability: clarity of responsibility across producers, carriers and receivers - due diligence through the waste chain - using improved traceability to support compliance
Enforcement, intelligence & coordinated action - effectiveness & next steps
Further sessions will assess whether expanded enforcement activity is translating into sustained disruption of waste crime. Discussion will draw on experience from recent Environment Agency operations, increased investment in waste crime enforcement and the development of intelligence and surveillance capability, alongside proposals to strengthen enforcement powers.
Delegates will examine the effectiveness of coordination between the Environment Agency, police, the National Crime Agency, HMRC, local authorities and regional partners, including the development of region-led approaches in Greater Manchester and West Yorkshire. Use of financial investigation, data-sharing and technology will be discussed, looking at approaches to identifying criminal networks, pursuing assets and preventing offenders from moving activity between sites or areas.
Overall, areas for discussion include:
- enforcement experience: lessons from recent operations - prioritising sites and operators - maintaining action after initial intervention - preventing repeat offending
- powers & capacity: where existing powers are proving sufficient or limited - deployment of additional resources - specialist investigative and legal capability
- intelligence: quality and timeliness of information - joining regulatory, financial and criminal intelligence - identifying emerging patterns and linked activity
- technology & evidence: drones, satellite imagery and data analytics - evidential standards - moving from detection to investigation and prosecution
- joint working: tasking and prioritisation between agencies - clarity of responsibilities - information-sharing and regional coordination
- criminal finances: Landfill Tax fraud and waste misdescription - financial investigation and asset recovery - removing the financial gains from offending
- prosecution & penalties: choice and use of sanctions - vehicle and asset seizure - sentencing and deterrence - action against repeat offenders
Industry compliance & fair competition - practical implications of reform
The conference will also examine what the changing regulatory and enforcement approach means for businesses that produce, transport, manage and receive waste. Delegates will assess the impact of reform in improving confidence in legitimate operators and making it harder for criminal businesses to compete, and priorities for keeping requirements proportionate for businesses seeking to comply.
The agenda will also bring out practical experience of reporting and compliance, looking at the costs and systems involved, and the engagement needed between regulators and industry as further reform is introduced. Attendees will also consider the responsibilities of waste producers when selecting contractors and the potential for better information to support procurement, due diligence and identification of suspicious activity.
Overall, areas for discussion include:
- implementation costs: systems changes, staff time and administrative requirements - differing impacts by business size and activity
- compliance in practice: demonstrating lawful handling and transfer - record keeping and evidence - responding to changing regulatory requirements
- proportionality: risk-based regulation - avoiding unnecessary burdens on compliant operators - support and guidance for smaller businesses
- due diligence: checking contractors and destinations - recognising warning signs - responsibilities where waste passes through several operators
- market integrity: identifying rogue operators - preventing price advantages based on non-compliance - confidence in regulatory action
- regulator & industry engagement: reporting intelligence - feedback from implementation - targeting attention according to risk
- future change: sequencing digital tracking and permitting reforms - transition arrangements - implications for business planning and investment
Remediation & recovery - priorities for landowners & affected communities
Further sessions consider measures when prevention and enforcement have failed and illegal waste has already been deposited. With government supporting assessment and clean-up of a number of major illegal waste sites, discussion will look at the circumstances in which public intervention is appropriate, responsibility for remediation and recovery of costs from those responsible.
We expect discussion to focus on the position of farmers and other landowners faced with waste dumped on their property, as well as pressures on local authorities and communities affected by persistent fly-tipping and larger illegal sites. Attendees will assess options for improving reporting and response, proposals for insurance and Landfill Tax arrangements to support remediation, and what is needed to reduce the financial burden falling on victims of waste crime.
Overall, areas for discussion include:
- remediation decisions: prioritising sites for intervention - assessing environmental and community risk - responsibility where offenders cannot meet clean-up costs
- costs & recovery: recovering funds from offenders and criminal assets - Landfill Tax treatment - barriers to making sites safe quickly
- landowners: liability following illegal dumping - possible insurance approaches - financial and practical support for victims - preventing further dumping
- local response: reporting routes - speed and consistency of response - pressures on councils and other public services - coordination with regulators and police
- affected communities: communication during enforcement and remediation - confidence in action being taken - restoring sites and preventing recurrence
- learning from cases: identifying recurring vulnerabilities and methods of offending - feeding evidence back into prevention, regulation and enforcement
All delegates will be able to contribute to the output of the conference, which will be shared with parliamentary, ministerial, departmental and regulatory offices, and more widely. This includes the full proceedings and additional articles submitted by delegates. As well as key stakeholders, those already due to attend include a parliamentary pass-holder from the House of Commons and officials from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs; Department for Energy Security and Net Zero; Environment Agency; Office for Environmental Protection; Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, NI; Isle of Man Government; and the Welsh Government.
