Environment Agency Waste Crime Crackdown: Cumbria Operation Explained

What happened in Cumbria

Across two days on 6 and 7 July 2026, a traffic stop operation targeting vehicles carrying waste took place at Todhills in Carlisle, run jointly by the Environment Agency, Cumberland Council and the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA). The checks focused on whether waste was being transported lawfully, and whether carriers held the correct licences and paperwork. Several significant breaches were identified: a number of waste carriers stopped during the operation were found to be flouting legal requirements for transporting waste. The Environment Agency said it will investigate further, follow up intelligence connected to associated waste sites, and take robust enforcement action against confirmed breaches.

The permitted sites inspected

Alongside the roadside checks, the Environment Agency joined forces with the Joint Unit for Waste Crime (JUWC) and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) to inspect three permitted waste sites: North West Recycling Limited at Rockliffe Estate in Carlisle, and JJC Hire Limited and Sinkfall Recycling, both in Barrow-in-Furness. These compliance inspections checked whether each site was meeting the conditions of its environmental permit, with follow-up action to be taken where appropriate. Aaron Wood, an Environment Agency Waste Team Leader for Cumbria and Lancashire, said joint operations of this kind help disrupt activity across the waste sector and gather intelligence, and that evidence of suspected illegal activity or regulatory breaches would not go unactioned.

Part of a wider crackdown: the 10 Point Plan

The Cumbria operation sits within the Environment Agency's new 10 Point Plan to tackle waste crime, a sustained programme intended to strengthen prevention, improve detection, and deliver more consistent enforcement, building on existing partnerships such as the JUWC. The JUWC itself, hosted by the Environment Agency since it was formed in 2020, has grown to include 12 partner organisations: the Environment Agency, Natural Resources Wales, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency, the Northern Ireland Environment Agency, HMRC, Police, the National Fire Chiefs Council, British Transport Police, the National Crime Agency, Revenue Scotland, the Welsh Revenue Authority, the Environmental Services Association, and the Chartered Institute for Waste Management. Waste crime ranges from unlicensed carriers and illegal dumping through to organised, large-scale operations, and it costs the wider economy through lost tax revenue, clean-up costs borne by landowners and local authorities, and unfair competition against properly licensed operators.

What businesses and landowners should check

Anyone paying someone to remove waste, whether a household clearing a garden or a business disposing of commercial waste, should check the person or firm against the public register of waste carriers, brokers and dealers before handing anything over. Operators who are not on the register are operating illegally. This matters practically as well as legally: a landowner or business can be held liable if waste is found illegally dumped on land they own, even where a third party is responsible for actually dumping it. Landowners are advised to check empty land and property regularly to keep it secure against illegal dumping. Suspected waste crime, including illegal dumping, suspicious waste movements or burning, unlicensed operators, or unusually cheap disposal offers, can be reported anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111, or directly to the Environment Agency's incident line on 0800 807060.

Why this matters for legitimate waste operators

Waste crime does not only cause environmental harm; it directly undercuts compliant businesses. Legitimate waste carriers and disposal firms, whether large national operators or smaller regional providers, carry the real cost of licensing, permitted sites, and lawful disposal routes, costs that illegal operators avoid entirely, allowing them to undercut on price. Enforcement operations like this one function, in effect, as a form of market protection for properly licensed businesses, alongside their primary purpose of preventing environmental harm and organised crime. Businesses choosing a waste provider can reduce their own compliance exposure, since the legal duty of care for waste extends to whoever generates it, by using the same public register checks the Environment Agency recommends, and by favouring providers that can demonstrate permit compliance and traceable waste routes.

Frequently asked questions

What happened in the Environment Agency's Cumbria waste crime operation?

A two-day operation on 6-7 July 2026 combined traffic stops on vehicles carrying waste in Carlisle with inspections of three permitted waste sites in Cumbria, run jointly with Cumberland Council, DVSA, JUWC and SEPA.

How can I check if a waste carrier is operating legally?

Check the public register of waste carriers, brokers and dealers before paying anyone to remove waste; anyone not listed is operating illegally.

Can I be held responsible if someone illegally dumps waste on my land?

Yes. Landowners can be liable for illegally dumped waste found on their property, so regularly checking empty land and buildings is recommended.

What is the Joint Unit for Waste Crime?

A partnership hosted by the Environment Agency since 2020, now including 12 organisations such as the police, HMRC, the National Crime Agency and Natural Resources Wales, focused on tackling serious and organised waste crime.

How do I report suspected waste crime?

Contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111, or the Environment Agency's incident line on 0800 807060.