Higher landfill prices and tighter controls are prompting more criminal activity in the sector because of potential profits to be made.
We do look at tightening our belts and spending is not finalised. But, I am confident it won't hit front line delivery of tackling crime
Liz Parkes, Environment Agency
The claim comes from Liz Parkes, the Environment Agency's head of waste, who has also reassured the waste management sector and local authorities that tackling waste crime is high on the EA agenda and is not expected to suffer even if budgets are cut.
Ms Parkes told letsrecycle.com that “waste crime is a very important issue because of the scale and the impact it has. Businesses are telling us about their concerns and would like us to differentiate more between the properly run facilities and other operations.”
Waste crime is a difficult sector to tackle, Ms Parkes conceded, especially in cases of illegal dumping illegal exports. Illegal sites as well are a big challenge and in this area the Agency has had some success. She said that it hadn't been soft and had done a lot of work with scrap sites and illegal tyre yards and has have good feedback from the British Metals Recycling Association and the Tyre Recovery Association.
Organised crime is evident in the illegal sector, she added. “The more you look, the more you find and while we have been on a journey for quite a few years we are finding that we tackle and then more spring up and often the same individuals are involved.”
A new approach is now being adopted in targeting individuals, which she said, has brought results. “In this way we can seize assets although the system is not easy but it can give better wins for the environment.”
WEEE
WEEE – waste electrical and electronic equipment – is another area that the Environment Agency is focusing on in terms of crime. Ms Parkes said the Agency is keen to establish where waste equipment is escaping from and whether it is the same people involved: “Is it leaking before or at the CA site – if you can cut off the supply, you can get back to properly handling the material. The WEEE legislation is a complex system but I don't think illegal exports are attributable to that. Manufacturers and producers and purchasers are not thinking enough about where it goes.”
With EA budgets being cut and other regulators facing the same, there have been concerns that regulatory work could reduce. However, Ms Parkes is optimistic that the regulatory work on illegal waste activities will continue strongly. “We do look at tightening our belts and spending is not finalised. But, I am confident it won't hit front line delivery of tackling crime and I am very comfortable that our level of ambition won't stay the same, it is for more action.”
Winning support outside the waste sector is also important in tackling waste crime, said Ms Parkes. “For example, we have been working with the shipping lines who want to share their concerns with us and they have a better understanding now of the legislation.”
Some cases concerning alleged illegal exports of recyclables are to come to court in 2011. Ms Parkes said that the EA “has had an issue with recyclables for a number of years. We have to collectively work out what is happening and improve the quality and try to turn this into a quality product, which is broadly understood.
“We are now broadly moving in the right direction of travel and must keep public confident in recycling.”
Export
Ms Parkes noted that there are separate issues concerned with WEEE and dry recyclables and there are a number of issues. “The export of working second hand equipment is a difficult area on which there is some guidance from WAB, the advisory board.”
And, she has concerns over the issue of the export of equipment which is not working sometimes hidden behind working goods. “There is a value in end of life products, sometimes the metals in them, and there can be children sorting material overseas. This has a real impact on the environment and human health and you also will not get such a high recovery rate.”
Some of this is from holders and small businesses going in the Local authority chain. Local authorities, said Ms Parkes, are co-regulators with the Agency but need to ensure that WEEE is properly handled and correctly moved on from CA sites. “The
Office of Government Commerce under the old government compiled a framework contract for the public sector recycling of WEEE. Responsible waste managmenet means it doesn't get dumped in your name.”
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