The Environment Agency said the operation targeted permitted sites suspected of criminal activity, forming part of its 10-Point Plan to tackle waste crime. Action included the shutdown of two illegal waste sites in West Lancashire after residents complained of foul smells and dust, a permit suspension at a waste tyre operator near Chichester over fire safety failings, and enforcement at a major waste facility in Hull. Investigators also gathered intelligence to support further planned operations.

Environment Secretary Dame Angela Eagle said: "Tackling the scourge of waste crime is one of my top priorities, and Operation Unite shows what robust, intelligence-led enforcement action can achieve, and sends a clear signal that those who break the rules will face the consequences." She said the government is taking a zero-tolerance approach through its Waste Crime Action Plan, backed by £45 million of funding for the Environment Agency.

The plant, named "Full Circle", would be powered by renewable Norwegian energy and use advanced pyrolysis to recover both the oil and gas fractions from plastic waste rather than sending them to energy generation. INEOS would use the output as feedstock to produce recycled ethylene at its Rafnes cracker, with its neighbouring Bamble plant then making recycled polyethylene for uses such as food and medical packaging.

The companies say the facility would support supply of the recycled feedstock needed to meet the EU's Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation. Arve Jakobsen, chief executive of Recuro, said siting the plant next to a steam cracker allows both oil and gas streams to be reused. The project has backing from Innovation Norway and technology partner Vixla. As a memorandum of understanding, the agreement is a statement of intent rather than a final investment decision.

The plant is the 17th biomethane site to connect to Cadent's East Midlands network and the 46th across the distribution network as a whole. Cadent has connected biomethane capacity of around 4TWh a year and is targeting 20TWh by 2035. Earlier this year the network operator received 38 applications to build new or expanded biomethane plants in the first assessment window of its cost-sharing and clustering model.

Wormslade will also produce around 70,000 tonnes of digestate a year for use as an organic fertiliser. VIDA bioenergy says the site is its fourth operational biogas facility and expects to reach full capacity by October 2026. Richard Sansom, director of Cadent's East Midlands network, said the potential for biomethane in the UK is "huge" and that Cadent is targeting a five-fold increase in production over the next decade.

Eagle was Minister of State for Food Security and Rural Affairs at Defra between September 2025 and June 2026, before taking roles at the Home Office and Cabinet Office. She replaces Emma Reynolds, who becomes Chief Secretary to the Treasury. The appointment was confirmed by Downing Street on 20 July.

Jacob Hayler, executive director of the Environmental Services Association, said Eagle takes on the role "during a critical period for the department", which he said is overseeing the implementation of recycling and waste reforms while working to strengthen its grip on waste crime. He added that ESA members and the government share an ambition to eliminate avoidable waste and double national resource productivity.