Public warned of wildfires as weather gets warmer

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‘The public are being urged to be mindful of wildfires in the hot weather.

Devon and Somerset Fire Service said people could prevent the risk of a wildfire by not having campfires or barbecues in the countryside and to discard cigarettes carefully.

Devon and Somerset Fire Service said wildfires were often caused by human activity, either deliberate or accidental, and on rare occasions could be started by a lightning strike.

It added only 10 to 15% of wildfires happened on their own in nature.’

BBC News

 

Image of fly tipped mattress outside charity shop

Plea for people to stop fly-tipping outside shop

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‘A Devon not-for-profit organisation is asking people to stop fly-tipping after a recent rise in the amount of unwanted items being left outside its shop.

EDDC said on its website fly-tipping was a serious crime and it always looked to catch and prosecute those committing it.’

BBC News

Fly-tipping warning after woman fined £2,200

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‘A warning against fly-tipping has been issued by North Devon Council after a woman was ordered to pay a total of £2,200.

The council said dumping waste could result in fines up to £50,000 at Magistrates Court, an unlimited fine at higher courts and up to five years in prison.

“If you employ someone to take your waste away, always check they have a proper waste carriers licence and take their name, address and vehicle details.”

BBC News

Single-use vapes banned from 1 June 2025

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‘Single-use vapes will be banned from the shelves of all shops from tomorrow (Sunday 1 June) thanks to a government blitz on sale and supply.

The new crackdown makes it illegal to sell single-use vapes at corner shops and supermarkets, putting an end to their alarming rise in school playgrounds and the avalanche of rubbish flooding the nation’s streets.’

Find out more at Gov.uk

Environment Agency tracks down waste criminals trading online (blog)

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‘The waste industry is rife with rogue traders and a target for organised crime groups who weave a web of deceit, using online trading platforms to attract customers, offering low prices and stealing business from law abiding businesses.

Slowly we have made progress and now have agreements in place with most of the main trading platforms to take down any traders convicted of waste crime offences or who are trading illegally as waste collectors or advertising an illegal waste site.

Often, we find these illegal traders use the Environment Agency logo to convey legitimacy, but we never give permission for our logo to be used by any traders, legal or otherwise. This is not allowed under any circumstances and shouldn’t be viewed as an endorsement of that business.’

Gov.uk

Working together to stop waste criminals (blog)

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‘Waste crime is a scourge impacting communities, the economy and the environment.

The effects of these criminals are far reaching and often long lasting. Legitimate waste management businesses lose out to criminals, who undercut their prices because they are not operating within the law. Taxpayers lose out as public money is used to stop and bring those responsible to justice and clear up the mess they leave behind. Private landowners face huge bills to clear illegally dumped waste from their land and premises. The environment suffers from the pollution dumped waste can cause, impacting people and wildlife.

Across the country our council enforcement teams work hard to tackle fly-tipping, while we work hard to stop large scale waste crimes. We often work together, sharing intelligence and supporting each other on operations to target and stop offenders’

Find out more about the Environment Agency’s work at Gov.uk

Disposable vape use falling in UK ahead of ban

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The popularity of disposable e-cigarettes or vapes has fallen ahead of a UK-wide ban, external on their sale on 1 June, a study suggests,

The percentage of people aged 16-24 who mainly use disposable vapes has dropped by nearly half in the last year from 63% to 35%

The UK government ban on disposable and single-use vapes is aimed at stopping littering as, in most cases, the vapes cannot be recycled and often end up in landfill or pollute natural environments.

Researchers believe vape users are switching to refillable and rechargeable vapes in anticipation of the ban – instead of giving up.’

BBC news

Ditch single-use vapes as ban deadline looms

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‘High street shops and convenience stores are today (Tuesday 1 April) being urged to deplete their stocks of single-use vapes ahead of new legislation coming into force banning their sale.

The deadline for selling any remaining single-use vapes was confirmed as 1 June 2025 when legislation was laid in parliament last year, with a government consultation showing overwhelming support for restricting their sale and supply

Waste Minister Mary Creagh said:

‘For too long, single-use vapes have littered our streets, wasted valuable resources and harmed wildlife.

‘Our ban comes into force in just a few weeks so businesses must play their part by running down stocks and ensuring the remainder are collected for recycling.

‘The Government is committed to moving towards a more circular economy, where we use, repair and refill things for longer, to reduce waste’

Read the full release at Gov.uk

Council will ‘come down hard’ on fly-tippers

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Plymouth City Council ‘says it will “come down hard” on fly-tipping after a man who owned a van involved in four separate incidents of illegal waste dumping was jailed.

“Fly-tipping is a complete blight on our city and we will not hesitate to come down hard on people who think that they are above the law.

“Let this also be a gentle reminder to people who may be paying someone to get rid of their waste.

“Please make sure that you use a licensed waste carrier, and obtain a waste transfer notice when handing your rubbish over.’

BBC News

Criminal gangs ruining environment, says watchdog

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A BBC article highlights that ‘organised criminal groups are targeting the waste industry and “wreaking havoc” on the environment, according to the Environment Agency (EA).

The EA said investigations were “complex” and involved the agency, the police and local authorities.

If I hire a skip, is it possible to make sure my waste will be disposed of in the proper way?

There are checks that I can carry out online to find out if the company I choose has a waste carrier’s licence, but waste can go through a chain of other handlers for processing and government figures suggest nearly 20% of all waste operators are thought to engage in illegal activity.’

In order to ‘reduce the ability for waste criminals to operate and undercut legitimate businesses through their systemic mis-handling of waste, illegal exports, and flytipping’, Government intends to launch mandatory digital waste tracking in April 2026.

In the meantime, see our Advice page to reduce the risk of giving your waste to criminals and together we can reduce the environmental harms caused by waste crime.