Environment Agency Expands Use Of Technology To Tackle Waste Crime

The Environment Agency (EA) has announced an enhanced package of surveillance, detection and investigative tools aimed at preventing and disrupting waste crime, as part of a wider enforcement crackdown published on 20 February 2026.

Key measures include an expanded 33-strong drone squad, with drones increasingly deployed to identify illegal waste sites and gather evidence for prosecutions. Some drones will be upgraded to carry Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) technology, enabling highly detailed mapping of waste sites and more precise evidence collection.

The EA has also introduced a new screening tool that cross-checks Heavy Goods Vehicle operator licence applications published by the Office of the Traffic Commissioner against waste permit and carrier licence records. This allows officers to identify and intervene with potentially non-compliant operators before illegal activity begins. The tool has already been trialled in East Anglia.

Enforcement capability has been further strengthened through the expansion of the Joint Unit for Waste Crime, which has grown from 13 to 20 specialists, including former police officers. The Unit works with partners such as police forces and the National Crime Agency to disrupt serious and organised waste crime.

The announcement follows a record year of enforcement activity, with 751 illegal waste sites closed and 221 prosecutions brought against waste criminals up to March 2025. The measures are supported by an increase in the EA’s enforcement budget to £15.6 million, aimed at accelerating action against illegal dumping and associated organised crime.

Read the full announcement here