Ministers, police, Mayors and local authorities join forces to target organised waste crime
The net is closing on the criminal gangs behind illegal dumping, as Environment Secretary Dame Angela Eagle today (4 November 2026) brings police, regulators and local leaders together to step up enforcement against waste crime.
The new Waste Crime Crackdown Group will drive forward action by identifying the weaknesses in the waste system that criminals exploit and removing blockers for change. They share one aim: to shut down the organised waste gangs.
Illegal waste sites are a stark example of what happens when enforcement fails and criminals are allowed to exploit weakness in the system, leaving communities to pay the price.
The Prime Minister has been clear that this must be reversed, with a crackdown on criminal activity to ensure the waste system works for the communities it is supposed to serve.
At the first meeting, members will discuss ramping up enforcement against the gangs profiting from illegal dumping and improving how they share intelligence. The Secretary of State will ask the Group to examine where enforcement powers can go further to leave no stone unturned in shutting down criminal organisations.