Legislation laid before parliament this week replaces the decades-old waste carrier registration system with a permit regime requiring background checks, technical competence and displayed permit numbers on vehicles.
Waste carriers, brokers and dealers in England will need to hold a permit rather than a simple registration from 2027, under legislation laid before parliament on 18 May.
The draft regulations amend the Environmental Permitting Regulations 2016 to bring waste transport into the same permit framework used for other regulated waste activities.
Under the current system, anyone can register as a waste carrier with limited checks on their identity or background. The government says this has allowed operators with a track record of dumping waste to enter the sector, leaving councils and landowners with clean-up bills.
The new regime will require operators to pass identity and criminal record checks before receiving a permit, and to demonstrate technical competence to transport or broker waste - a requirement that does not exist under the current registration system. Permit numbers must also be displayed on vehicles and in advertising, making it easier for the public to spot unlicensed operators.
For those caught illegally transporting or dealing in waste, the regulations introduce custodial sentences of up to five years - there are currently no prison terms for these offences. The Environment Agency will also gain stronger powers to revoke permits and issue enforcement notices, and the permit system will be self-funding through fees.
"Waste cowboys have abused the system for too long, blighting our countryside and cities alike," said waste minister Mary Creagh. "Through our Waste Crime Action Plan, we're introducing rigorous background checks for waste traders, shutting down corrupt operators and kicking them out of the industry for good."
The carrier permit reform is part of the government's Waste Crime Action Plan, announced earlier this year alongside £45 million in additional enforcement funding for the EA. The plan also includes police-style powers for Environment Agency officers under PACE, penalty points for drivers caught fly-tipping, and mandatory digital waste tracking from October 2026.
Philip Duffy, the EA's chief executive, said the reforms gave the regulator the tools to act faster against rogue operators. "With stronger powers to revoke permits and issue enforcement notices, we will move faster to shut down rogue operators and protect communities from the damage waste crime causes," he said.
Industry response
Dan Cooke at the Chartered Institution of Wastes Management said the sector had been calling for the registration loophole to be closed for some time. "It's good to see these strong and practical measures being implemented to target cowboys and crooks operating at the fringes of our sector," he said.
The legislation applies to England only. Existing registered carriers, brokers and dealers will have a transitional period to move to the new permit system before their current registrations expire.
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