The news has been filled with stories of illegally dumped waste, large scale dumping on farmland and woodland seems to have become a problem for landowners, and the Environment Agency is struggling to tackle the issue
For the tyre recycling sector, there is no large-scale tyre dumping on the UK, just infrequent small loads, often mixed with other waste. However, the granting of T8 Exemptions has been a considerable concern for tyre recyclers for over a decade now.
In October 2025, the Environment Agency changed the rules on T8s, requiring a fee to be paid when registering, that they said would allow increased monitoring of the T8 operators. Just how efficiently that change has been implemented is open to question, and has been subject questions being raised in Parliament, in particular by Tessa Munt MP.
Tyre and Rubber Recycling has it from a reputable source that the latest round of regulation designed to ensure that waste goes to the correct final disposal, has proven to be somewhat challenging for the exporters and their receiving clients. We are told that the outcome may well be a relaxation of the requirements for geotagged photographic evidence.
This being the case, the EA set rules and then mitigate them because the people they target cannot meet the required standards. That just smacks of a lack of understanding of the waste sector, at best.
Tyre and Rubber Recycling is also aware that of the T8 sites inspected, only one failed to meet the criteria, all others were claimed to be operating within the parameters of the T8. One might imagine the rogue operators are running circles around the EA.
However, it is not just T8 certification that is under question. A recent article sourced from the Country Landowner’s Association showed the abject failure of the EA in conducting due diligence for b.
A cow in Wiltshire was granted an upper-tier waste carrier and dealer licence, with just minimal information requested and the payment of a fee.
The exercise was carried out by Ann Maidment, director of CLA South West to show how easy it was to become a waste carrier.
The Licence was awarded to a Charolais-cross cow named “Beau Vine,” and to a carrier named “Laurie Load.” They were both registered with the EA’s National Customer Contact Centre in Sheffield.
The report in the Farmer’s Guardian states that a CLA survey found nearly three-quarters of farmers are affected annually, with some experiencing multiple incidents each month.
The average cost of clearing waste is about £1,000 per incident, while 85% of respondents reported investing in preventative measures such as CCTV and lighting.
Ms Maidment said: “Criminals know this. They exploit these licences to appear legitimate, then go on to fly-tip tonnes of waste, some of it hazardous, endangering the livelihoods of rural communities.
“A system that approves applicants instantly and without scrutiny is not regulating waste. It is smoothing the path to dump it.”
In response, a Defra spokesperson said: “Waste crime is a scourge on local communities.
“We are working across government to wipe out illegal waste throughout the country and make those responsible pay, including significant reforms to the carriers, brokers and dealers regime.”
Defra confirmed plans to introduce stricter background checks, move the current registration system into environmental permitting, and increase enforcement funding, alongside broader measures under a national Waste Crime Action Plan.
The problem that the genuine waste sector faces is that the wheels of government grind rather slowly when it comes to waste. For the tyre sector, it is over 10 years since the removal of the T8 was first announced, and to date there has been minimal progress on its removal, or its policing.
These Waste Dealer applications by the CLA highlight just how weak and ineffective the Environment Agency has become when dealing with waste.
Image credit Lilynsmart
