Government rolls out new technology to tackle rural waste crime - Countryside Alliance

The Environment Agency has announced a major package of new enforcement measures to combat illegal waste dumping, including expanded drone surveillance, laser mapping technology and a strengthened Joint Unit for Waste Crime.

The announcement, made on 20 February 2026, includes an upgraded 33-strong drone squad equipped with LiDAR technology capable of creating highly detailed maps of illegal waste sites for use as court evidence. A new software screening tool will also cross-check lorry licence applications against waste permit records, allowing officers to identify suspect operators before they begin moving waste. The Joint Unit for Waste Crime has been expanded from 13 to 20 specialists, including former police officers, working alongside the National Crime Agency and police forces to dismantle organised criminal networks. The government has increased the Environment Agency's enforcement budget by over 50% to £15.6 million to fund the package. This builds on what the Agency describes as a record year for enforcement, during which 751 illegal waste sites were shut down and 221 prosecutions were brought against waste criminals.

The Countryside Alliance has long called for waste crime to be treated as the serious, organised criminal activity it is. Rural communities bear a disproportionate share of the damage, farmers and landowners face polluted land, threats to livestock and clean-up bills that can exceed £50,000, while organised gangs continue to profit from a criminal market estimated to be worth £1 billion a year.