Defra to crack down on 'waste crime'

The Department for the Environment, Farming, and Rural Affairs (Defra) has today (21 January) unveiled plans to ‘crack down’ on waste crime and support people and businesses to manage waste correctly.
Environment Minister Jo Churchill outlined proposals in two new consultations, which would see an increase in background checks for firms who move or trade waste, and regulators across the UK better able to take action against rogue operators.
The waste carrier, broker, and dealer (CBD) system reform consultation is seeking views from the waste industry and other stakeholders on the move from a registration to a permit-based system, which would mean those transporting or making decisions about waste ‘must demonstrate they are competent to make those decisions’.
As these proposals extend to all operators in the waste transportation industry, Defra says, this consultation will also be of interest to all businesses across England that hold an environmental permit for waste operations or who operate under a registered exemption from the permitting system.

Defra says that waste is often handled by ‘intermediaries who conceal their identities to commit serious and organised waste crime’, maintaining that reforming the system according to its proposals would ensure waste is managed by authorised persons only and in a safe manner, making it harder for unregistered operators to find work in the sector.