Comprising of both public and private sector organisations – including the Environment Agency, United Resource Operators Consortium and UK Waste Solutions – the Waste Compliance Taskforce will launch on the 22nd of October. The cross-sector Taskforce aims to provide the waste industry with effective means to tackle and prevent waste crime.
Set to be announced at the Waste Crime Conference on October the 22nd, the Waste Compliance Taskforce – also known as WACT – intends to raise waste crime awareness and mitigate its impact. The Taskforce is a cross-sector forum; combining both the public and private sector perspectives. The Taskforce lists sixteen organisations as members. Members include the Environment Agency, Scottish Environment Protection Agency, Natural Resources Wales, Recoup, United Resource Operators Consortium and UK Waste Solutions.
The Taskforce’s strategy is to provide a platform for working groups to share and gather waste crime intelligence and information. Currently, five specialised working groups form the Waste Compliance Taskforce: landowners, insurance, deposit return scheme, plastic exports and duty of care. The Taskforce outlines that the specialised working groups can uncover policy loopholes and enable regulators to proactively enforce.
Generally, Wiser Environment supports all initiatives that enforce and prevent waste crime. This is because organised waste crime is estimated to cost the UK economy at least £600 million a year. Illegal waste operations are able to avoid compliance standards and sell their services at uncompetitive prices; undercutting and pushing out legitimate and compliant operators from the market.
Importantly, the Taskforce should not be confused with the UK Government’s Joint Unit for Waste Crime. The Joint Unit for Waste Crime is a multi-agency body that incorporates elements of law enforcement agencies, the Environment Agency, Natural Resources Wales, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency, the police, HMRC and the National Crime Agency. The Joint Unit for Waste Crime supports waste crime enforcement whereas the Waste Compliance Taskforce intends to amplify existing campaigns.
To date – a number of regulators, trade associations, landowners, businesses and charities have endorsed the Taskforce. Unsurprisingly so given the rising waste management costs and increasingly complex legislation. Industry leaders need to stay informed and Wiser Environment can help. As of writing, the Waste Compliance Taskforce has yet to disclose if their forum is open to additional members. However, the team at Wiser do have extensive experience in the field of waste management and are ready to help and support businesses with updates and support. For more information, contact us or call on 01480 462232.
