Assuming that all of this is actually rogue tonnage, it could equal between £260 million and £276 million in lost landfill tax if all waste was charged at the upper rate of £130.75.
Waste crime is estimated by the Environmental Services Association (ESA) to cost the English economy around £2 billion annually, with the Environment Agency estimating that roughly 20% of waste is handled illegally.
The list includes sites which are reportedly causing “concern within local communities”.
The EA said that the list reflects their work to “act early” on illegal activity and will be updated monthly.
The first version of the list was released in May 2026 and featured 117 sites with 1.9 million tonnes of waste.
16 sites have now been removed from the list, which accounted for 22,787 tonnes of waste.
At the same time, 22 sites have now been added to the list – bringing the total number of sites to 123.
In a statement alongside the list, the Environment Agency explained: “Sites may be removed from the list when our assessments show they now present a lower level of risk to nearby communities.
“This is not a static picture and will continue to evolve as we review activities, receive updated reports, and resolve issues.
“Even when a site is removed, our enforcement teams will continue to monitor it closely and take action whenever necessary to stop illegal waste activity.
“Those responsible will still be pursued and we will seek to recover the costs of the clean-up where possible.”
The largest of the sites is located in Northwich in Cheshire and contains 281,000 tonnes of contaminated soil.
Other notable sites include one in Pershore, Worcestershire, where between 150,000 and 180,000 tonnes of mixed shredded waste have been deposited.
The list also contains a location in Iken, Suffolk, containing 121,000 tonnes of construction and demolition waste.
The rest of the sites range from 100,000 tonnes to one tonne of waste and feature multiple types of waste including tyres, commercial, household, mixed shredded waste and more.
The list includes what is likely the well-known “waste mountain” located in Kidlington, Oxfordshire. View the full list here.
The EA noted that further information on the sites is restricted at this stage as many of the cases relate to ongoing investigations, but that more information will be shared as it becomes available.
Interested in finding out more about the EA’s approach to tackling waste crime? Join us at the letsrecycle.com Waste Crime Conference on 3 November 2026 in London. Find out more and buy tickets here.
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