Overview

• The UK government has introduced new powers allowing councils and police to seize and crush vehicles used in fly-tipping, supported by drones and mobile CCTV for offender identification.
• Prime Minister Keir Starmer emphasized the government's tough stance, pledging to use advanced technology to track and penalize waste criminals.
• Fly-tipping incidents reached a record 1.15 million in 2023-24, a 20% increase since 2018-19, prompting the Labour government to act decisively.
• New legislation includes up to five years' imprisonment for illegal waste operators and a £69 billion multi-year funding boost for councils, though no additional ring-fenced funding is provided.
• Critics highlight high legal disposal fees and resource constraints as potential barriers to the policy's success, despite local leaders welcoming the measures.