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Illegal waste dumping is not a nuisance. It is a crime.
Waste crime is organised crime.
Every year, millions of tonnes of household rubbish, construction rubble, chemical drums, asbestos and tyres are illegally dumped across the UK by organised criminal networks operating in the waste sector. These are not opportunists with a bag of rubbish or a discarded mattress leaning on a lamppost. These are professional operations that charge businesses and households for waste collection, pocket the money, and dump the waste wherever they can.
Do you have information on a suspected waste crime and want to remain anonymous? You can contact us 24 hours a day, every single day of the year. Call free on 0800 555 111 or fill in our online form, right here on our website - it only takes 5 minutes:
The scale of the problem
The Environment Services Association estimates that waste crime now costs the English economy £1 billion every year. Around 20% of all waste in England is estimated to be illegally managed - that is equivalent to 34 million tonnes, or enough to fill four million skips. In 2023 to 2024, HMRC recorded £150 million lost in Landfill Tax evasion alone.
Despite the scale, only an estimated 27% of waste crimes are ever reported. That means the vast majority of illegal dumping, including the most serious, large-scale and hazardous incidents, go unreported. Criminal operators rely on public silence to continue.
Sources: DEFRA & Environment Agency
Real harm to real communities
Waste crime is not victimless. When hazardous waste is dumped near homes, parks, watercourses or farmland, the consequences can last for decades. Asbestos fibres, chemical leachate and contaminated soil pose serious risks to public health. Children playing near dumped waste, families living beside illegal sites, farmers unable to use their own land, these are the human costs.
Waste crime degrades the environment and places where people live, including roadsides and green spaces, driving down property values and community wellbeing. And it undercuts legitimate waste businesses that pay their taxes and follow the law.
Know someone involved in facilitating waste crime? Tell our independent charity. Call free on 0800 555 111 or fill in our online form:
Organised crime behind the skips
A government-commissioned review found that those running illegal waste operations are frequently involved in other serious criminal activity, including large-scale fraud, money laundering and, in some cases, modern slavery. The Joint Unit for Waste Crime, a national taskforce that includes the Environment Agency, police forces and the National Crime Agency, has made over 186 arrests through multi-agency operations since its formation. From July 2024 to the end of 2025, 122 prosecutions were secured, leading to 10 immediate custodial sentences, and 1,205 illegal waste sites were shut down.
Sources: Environment Agency & DEFRA
In March 2026, the government published its Waste Crime Action Plan and committed an additional £45 million for Environment Agency enforcement over three years, including police-style powers for environment officers. The message from government and law enforcement is clear: illegal dumping is serious organised crime, and it will be treated as such.
Source: DEFRA
What you can do
If you have seen large-scale or repeated illegal waste dumping, particularly involving lorries, commercial vehicles, or hazardous materials, you may have information that investigators need. You do not need evidence. You do not need certainty. You never have to give your name.
Help your community by telling us:
- The exact location where the industrial waste has been dumped.
- The type of waste.
- The approximate amount.
- The day, date and time it happened/appeared.
- Any identifiable information about the people or vehicles involved in the dumping of illegal waste.
If you suspect an individual or company is committing a waste crime, you can tell us what you know and stay 100% anonymous - guaranteed. Call free, any time of the day or night, on 0800 555 111 or fill in our quick and easy online form, right here on our website:
