In a consultation which closed on 20 January 2025, the EA proposed a waste crime levy of 10% on annual subsistence charges for certain waste permits. It said that the levy would go towards its efforts in combatting waste crime. Pending the results of the consultation, the levy would come into effect in April 2025.
Trade association MPA represents the aggregates, asphalt, cement, concrete, dimension stone, lime, mortar and industrial sand industries. Its members recycle and reuse millions of tonnes of construction and demolition waste every year to produce recycled aggregate for circular purposes or to restore former quarry sites.
MPA executive director Mark Russell claimed the levy “flies in the face of the government’s drive to kickstart economic growth”.
He continued: “Why should businesses that operate to high environmental standards – yet are facing deteriorating quality of service from the regulator – pay even more to fund unrelated crime-fighting?
“We strongly back initiatives to tackle waste crime and address the environmental harm it causes. However, this yet another example of the burden being put on reputable operators, despite the chancellor calling on businesses to drive growth and ‘tear down regulatory barriers’.”
An EA spokesperson told Letsrecycle.com: “Waste crime is toxic. It undermines legitimate businesses and costs England’s economy around £1 billion a year in damages.
“The new waste crime levy will enable us to have a more significant impact on waste crime and reduce environmental damage by disrupting more illegal activities and pursuing more perpetrators.
“We will continue to work with compliant businesses and operators to turn the tide on waste crime and protect the environment and communities.”
The MPA criticised the quality of service that the companies it represents receives from the EA and said that the charges are unlikely to result the “desired improvements”.
Russell concluded: “Compliant businesses should not be treated as a ‘cash cow’ to raise additional income to support other activities.
“Cumulative regulatory drag is real and is already harming the British economy. Yet we continue to see incremental changes that introduce additional cost, bureaucracy, time and effort, often with little meaningful effect, that simply increase the burden not just on legitimate operators but also on the regulators responsible for administering them.”
When the consultation was first released in November 2024, Steve Molyneux, deputy director of waste and resources regulation at the EA, explained the reasons behind it: “It’s our job to be fair and transparent with the businesses we regulate for the work we do.
“Waste exemption abuse across industry sectors, increasing costs of regulation and illegal waste activity, is making it harder to meet the cost of these challenges.
“Our proposals will see more investment in our services, which is crucial in protecting legitimate businesses, tackling waste crime and reducing environmental damage. We encourage interested parties to respond to help shape the future of their industry.”
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