Free webinar series: Tackling Waste Crime – an ‘intelligence led’ approach

CIWM and ESA, in partnership with the Environment Agency, the charity Crimestoppers and the ‘Right Waste Right Place’ campaign, are pleased to be hosting a series of free webinars in January and February exploring the latest approaches to fighting waste crime.

Waste crime, which pollutes the environment and causes misery and stress to local communities, also continues to cost UK society nearly £1 billion every year – from fly-tipping, to illegal waste site enforcement and clean up, and lost revenue to the Exchequer through fraud and misclassification of waste.

Having recognised the significant and growing impact of this type of crime, efforts to tackle waste crime have been ramped up in the last few years, ranging from cross-agency working through to proposed regulatory changes and greater enforcement powers.

This series of webinars will provide attendees with  the latest update on progress, and participants will hear from a range of speakers including the Environment Agency’s National Intelligence Unit, who will provide insight into the ‘intelligence led’ approach to tackling waste crime, which relies on the provision of information from the public and legitimate industry on suspect illegal waste activities. Legitimate industry and local authorities also play a vital role in providing information to regulators on suspected illegal activity, as well as on market trends and developments which may create opportunities for waste crime. Participants will learn the best way to provide information and what the regulator does with it.

Defra waste and resource policy-leads will also provide the latest on the UK Government’s progress in implementing its ‘Prevent, Detect, Deter’ strategy to tackle waste crime, with an update on key proposed new regulations due for further consultation in 2020, most notably the reform of the ‘Carriers, Brokers and Dealers’ regime and electronic waste tracking.

Participants will also hear from the Environment Agency’s recently formed Waste Crime Engagement Specialist team and the head of the newly formed Joint Unit for Waste Crime, the strategic partnership between regulators, police, the National Crime Agency, local authorities and legitimate industry that has been established to ensure an effective response to serious and organised waste crime.

The charity Crimestoppers is supporting this webinar series and will provide insight into how its service, which takes anonymous information from the public, works. ESA and CIWM will also highlight the role that the responsible recycling, resources and waste management industry plays in demonstrating best practice and high standards, and also in raising awareness of the responsibilities and legal duties that waste producers and waste managers have for the materials they control. 

The dates for the webinars are 23 January, 6 February and 13 February 2020 and speakers will include:

• Chris Smith, Head of Environment Agency National Intelligence Unit
• Annette Booysen, Account Manager, Crimestoppers charity
• David Read, Waste Regulation and Crime, Defra
• Dan Cooke, Pennon Group and ESA lead on Waste Crime
• Phil Davies, Manager, Joint Unit for Waste Crime

To sign up for a free place, click here

ENDS

Notes to Editors:

1. CIWM: CIWM is the leading professional body for the resource and waste management sector representing around 5,700 individuals in the UK, Ireland and overseas. Established in 1898, CIWM is a non-profit making organisation, dedicated to the promotion of professional competence amongst waste managers. CIWM seeks to raise standards for those working in and with the sector by producing best practice guidance, developing educational and training initiatives, and providing information on key waste-related issues. More information can be found at www.ciwm.co.uk
2. The Environmental Services Association (ESA) is the trade association representing the UK’s resource and waste management industry, which is leading the transformation of how the UK’s waste is managed www.esauk.org
3. Crimestoppers is an independent charity that gives people the power to speak up to stop crime 100% anonymously crimestoppers-uk.org
4. Right Waste, Right Place is a national campaign raising awareness of waste ‘Duty of Care’ and offering practical advice on how to manage waste safely and compliantly. http://www.rightwasterightplace.com/

Press contact:
Pat Jennings
Head of Policy, Knowledge & External Affairs
Tel: 01604 620426
Mob: 07912 228260
E-mail: pat.jennings@ciwm.co.uk