The warning comes as multiple landfill sites across the region have reached capacity or otherwise closed their doors, meaning the loss of reportedly at least one million tonnes in capacity.
One of the biggest sites to close to residual waste, Pilsworth landfill, is operated by Valencia Waste Management and had previously been scrutinised for odour issues.
Valencia’s other available landfill in the North of England, Erin landfill in Derbyshire, is also currently closed to residual waste amid ongoing engineering works. It was the target of odour complaints as recently as last week.
Both landfill sites are still open to inert and restoration waste and the company described such closures to residual waste as “routine”.
A spokesperson for Valencia told letsrecycle.com: “Our sites remain operational, and continue to be managed in line with our environmental permit requirements.”
It was also announced last week that the Environment Agency had suspended the environmental permit for Seaton Meadows landfill in Seaton Carew, Hartlepool.
The suspension notice, served to operator SMLF on 10 July 2026, prevents the company from accepting any further waste at the landfill with immediate effect.
Another landfill to close its doors is Hespin Wood in Cumbria, which halted operations after the site operator Seletia agreed in May to cease accepting waste following concerns over odour pollution and permit breaches.
Both landfill sites would have been significant off-takers of the waste that would otherwise have gone to Pilsworth, further deepening the crisis.
Insiders said the development is a “perfect storm” as demand from Energy from Waste (EfW) is down due to the summer months, making it even harder to find a home for the displaced tonnage.
At the same time, haulage costs are at a high right due to the Iran War, making it more expensive for companies to transport the waste down south for treatment.
The crisis has seen many operators forced to close overnight and has created a major surplus in the market, which in turn has caused gate fees to soar.
One source told letrecycle.com that they had seen prices rise to between £200 and £250 per tonne, while another said they had risen by as much as 90% in the space of a week and are now over £250.
The closure has affected operators and local authorities across the North, including in Greater Manchester, Merseyside, Lancashire, South Yorkshire and Derbyshire.
Councils in these areas that are particularly reliant on landfill may be forced to make serious decisions regarding their residual waste, with some reportedly considering pausing their residual waste collections while they search for additional capacity.
Waste management companies have also told letsrecycle.com that they are considering closing their doors to third parties in order to protect contracted tonnage.
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