Process for seizing fly-tipping vehicles to be simplified

The announcement follows the launch of a rapid review to simplify the process that allows councils to seize vehicles.  

The police will utilise drones and mobile CCTV cameras to identify the cars and vans to be destroyed.  

Environment secretary Steve Reed said: “Waste criminals and fly-tippers who blight our towns and villages have gone unpunished for too long.   

“That ends today. The government is calling time on fly-tipping. I will not stand by while this avalanche of rubbish buries our communities.  

“Under the Plan for Change, this government will seize and crush fly-tippers vans’ to clean up Britain’s streets.” 

The Environment Agency (EA) has said it will also carry out identity and criminal record checks on operators in the sector.  

The agency will be handed more resources to fund the cost of policing. 

The reforms will also give them more power to revoke permits, issue enforcement notices and larger fines.   

Fly-tipping has increased by a fifth since 2081/19 while the number of prosecutions has decreased by a similar amount in the same amount of time.  

Philip Duffy, chief executive at the EA, said: “Waste crime is toxic. Criminals’ thoughtless actions harm people, places, and the economy, blighting our communities and disrupting legitimate businesses.  

“At the EA, we’re determined to bring these criminals to justice through tough enforcement action and prosecutions.  

“That’s why we support the government’s crackdown on waste criminals, which will ensure we have the right powers to shut rogue operators out of the waste industry.” 

David Gudgeon, head of external affairs at Reconomy Connect, said: “These are welcome steps from the government to deter rogue waste operators who have caused severe environmental and economic harm across communities in the UK for too long. Last year, councils in England faced over a million fly-tipping incidents— a 6% rise in 12 months and 22% over the past decade. 

“These new measures will place greater responsibility on businesses to ensure they work with reputable and fully compliant waste and recycle operators. The Digital Waste Tracking system, coming into effect in April 2026, will also help tackle this issue by tracking waste from households, businesses and industry. 

“Ultimately, this announcement reiterates the pressing need for the UK transition to a truly circular economy. Presently, only 7.2% of materials make their way back into the economy which is unsustainable.  

“Closing this circularity gap through higher recycling rates, greater reuse and better resource preservation is the most effective way to protect local environments, boost economic resilience and future-proof businesses.” 

How will the reforms be funded? 

The increased enforcement activity will in part be funded by environmental permits.  

The government is also making £69 billion to council budgets across England in the first multi-year funding settlement in a decade.  

The allowance represents a 6.8% cash terms increase and is intended to help fund key responsibilities like tackling fly-tipping. 

Councillor Muhammed Butt, leader of Brent council, said: “Our residents have had enough of the dumpers who pollute their neighbourhoods with rubbish.  

“These new powers will be a welcome addition to our arsenal, reinforcing our zero-tolerance stance on fly-tipping.  

“We’ve already witnessed the positive impact of our focused efforts, and I am determined to use every tool at our disposal, including seizing vehicles, to reclaim our streets.”