Recommendation 18

The Agency told us how under the current regime almost anybody can register with it as a waste carrier, broker or dealer and present themselves as a legitimate waste operator. Several organisations submitted evidence to our enquiry that demonstrated how this lax approach enables waste crime. The National Farmers Union told us how its members are approached by companies posing as legitimate waste operators, offering farmers money in return for temporary storage of waste, only for the companies to then disappear.62 SUEZ Recycling and Recovery UK told us how rogue companies charge low rates for waste collection, undercutting legitimate operators, but then fold leaving the waste for others to clean up. It called for more robust competency requirements for organisations seeking environmental permits.63 The Environmental Services Association also called for reforms to the waste carriers, brokers and dealers regulations to make it more difficult for criminals to enter the waste sector.64 We heard from Defra and the Agency that they are consulting on the regulations, which will be reformed to require a much higher level of technical competence and evidence of not being a rogue dealer, including background and criminal checks, in order to be able to register as a waste operator.65