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A cross-party group of peers has criticised the police and Environment Agency for failing to adequately tackle serious and organised waste crime, including fly-tipping. The House of Lords Environment and Climate Change Committee called for an independent root and branch review into waste crime, which incurs environmental, social and economic costs of approximately £1 billion annually. Peers expressed deep concern over the “demonstrable inadequacy” of the current approach and the “lack of interest shown by the police” in fulfilling their role. Key recommendations include establishing a joint unit for waste crime, reviewing Treasury rules on public money for the Environment Agency and assessing the risks of landfill tax reform. Committee chairwoman Baroness Sheehan highlighted that over 38 million tonnes of waste are illegally dumped each year, mainly by organised crime groups, citing multiple agency failings and a “woeful lack of successful convictions”.
