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What Is Waste Crime and How Can We Tackle It?
What Is Waste Crime and How Can We Tackle It?
As waste generation continues to rise year after year, so does waste crime. In this article, the Brown Recycling team is going to be covering exactly what waste crime is and how we can try to tackle it.
What is waste crime?
We can understand waste crime as the disposal, incineration or management of waste without legal consent. It can range from smaller standalone instances of fly tipping – or even littering – to large-scale, organised waste dumps by criminals disguised as waste management companies.
Illegal waste disposal sites are by far the most damaging of all forms of waste crime, as they pose a serious risk to the environment as well as public health. Illegal waste dumps pollute rivers, agricultural land and the air that we breathe on a daily basis, so the negative impact cannot be overstated. Of course, waste crime also brings with it all of the other things that threaten our society, such as violence, intimidation, theft and damage to the economy. In fact, according to the UK waste minister, waste crime costs our country around £1 billion a year.
Why has waste crime been on the rise?
One of the main reasons why waste crime has been on the rise over the past decade or so is that it’s a tempting value proposition for would-be criminals. Here are some of the reasons why criminals turn to waste crime:
- There’s a lot of money to be made (perhaps even more than drug dealing)
- The chances of getting caught are relatively low compared to other types of crime
- Again, compared to other forms of crime, the penalties associated with waste crimes have always been relatively light
Another reason, of course, is that we keep generating more waste. The more waste we create, the more people there are who need to dispose of it, which opens up opportunities for criminals to carry out illegal waste disposal operations.
What can we do to tackle waste crime?
In the past, the main issues associated with tackling waste crime lay in the final two bullet points listed above. Namely, criminals were getting away with it too easily and when they were caught, the punishments weren’t severe enough.
The government’s new approach to tackling waste crime aims to focus on these issues primarily, making it much harder for criminals to get away with their crimes, and punishing them appropriately when they fail to do so.
Here are some of the different tactics the police are now employing to tackle waste crime:
- Focusing on the criminals first, as opposed to simply dealing with the environmental damage they leave in their wake; essentially, focusing on the root cause and not just the symptoms.
- Using an intelligence-led approach that focuses on the biggest criminals doing the most harm on a national level.
- Utilising new technology, including drone surveillance techniques, as well as heat-sensitive cameras to see inside shipping containers and warehouses.
What can I do as an individual?
While we would never recommend trying to step in and stop organised waste crime yourself, you can certainly report any and all instances of it that you see. While this contribution might seem insignificant, it all adds up and is hugely valuable in the long run.
Brown Recycling is a leading waste management company in Stoke-on-Trent. Whether you’re simply looking for a skip or you’re a business owner needing regular waste collections, we have the skills and expertise to get you sorted. Give us a call today for more information.
Got any burning questions?
You can ask us a question online using our contact form. Simply provide your name, email (purely for confirmation purposes) and the details of your enquiry, and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible.
Why choose Browns Recycling?
- Disposal of waste by experts
- Safer & cleaner for the environment
- Projects of any size taken on
What our clients say about us
“We are hugely grateful to Brown Recycling for their help on DIY SOS: The Big Build in Stoke. Dave and the team went above and beyond to clear the site and then bring in other suppliers who also supported this great cause. Thanks to the generosity of countless suppliers and volunteers, Stoke now has a community centre that will support its residents for many years to come.”
Read more testimonials
Waste Management
- Disposal of waste by experts
- Safer & cleaner for the environment
- Projects of any size taken on
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Excellent service on a recent Hazardous waste removal from one of our sites. Paddy and Stacey wasted no time in arranging for our waste to be removed in surprisingly quick turnaround. 10/10...
1 week ago -
Hired a skip to clear a huge pile of garden waste. Arrived on time, picked up bang on time, dead easy to book and pay. Courteous, helpful drivers. Job done! just as it should be, without drama. Highly...
1 month ago -
Very professional service and the customer service team are very helpful and knowledgeable. We have been working with browns and using their services for a number of years and cannot fault it. Very co...
1 month ago -
Terry was very efficient. We will use brown for skips again...
2 months ago -
Had problems with getting the skip into our drive but Browns persisted and 3 trucks later the 3rd driver got the job done. Incredible service from a very professional and competent company. Special me...
2 months ago -
Really efficient service, competitive price and they dropped off skip exactly where we asked them to. Easy to book a skip over the weekend using their online booking system. Very helpful when we nee...
3 months ago -
I ordered a skip at short notice and it arrived as requested. Having finished with it early Terry came and collected it very promptly which freed up the driveway. A Good service and reasonably priced....
3 months ago -
Brilliant service - I booked for the wrong date, but Browns were really helpful and changed the booking at the last minute....
4 months ago -
We chose Brown Recycling because out of the firms we rang the lady on the end of the phone knew exactly what we needed and was very helpful. ( Yes you can place a skip in a council paying car park) A...
5 months ago -
A big thanks to Phil, always helpful and polite when collecting cardboard, nothing too much trouble ....
5 months ago -
Christie has been great in providing us with a total review of our waste services on site. If you are looking at reviewing your waste service then I would highly recommend that you reach out to her as...
6 months ago -
really fast and a easy process. Thank you Christie...
6 months ago -
Christie has been most helpful and informative whilst booking a new service for plastic and general waste recycling. Would recommend :)...
6 months ago -
Christie was very helpful, she managed the whole process very efficiently and met our expectations. We now have the service and commercial offering we need for our business waste. We would recommend...
9 months ago -
Quick and really reliable service.... was a pleasure dealing with Christie!!!...
9 months ago -
Requested amendment to current waste collection. Very helpful and was able to answer all queries and adapt to our requirements. Definitely recommend...
10 months ago -
We had a visit today from Mark and Andy dropping off our new waste bin. I would just like to acknowledge their outstanding customer service. They disposed of the built up waste that we had gathered si...
11 months ago -
Full marks to Andy and Mark. Went above and beyond today and would highly recommend them to anybody looking to recycle large quantities of waste. Professional, efficient and very approachable...
11 months ago -
First time using Browns, they were clear, efficient and got the job done. Will continue to use their services....
1 year ago -
New to sorting a bin service for our new business. Christie and Brown Recyling has been great with helping us select the right type of bin required as well as not overspending for the sake of it. He...
1 year ago -
Super easy to set up a long term skip hire, Christie made things nice and clear and the prices were good too! everything was ready to go really quick, highly recommend Browns...
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