Inertia over inert waste embarrasses Ministers and Agency

Weaknesses in waste regulation gained a wider public airing in April thanks to an investigation by Channel Four's Dispatches programme and The Guardian newspaper. The team drew attention to the escalation of illegal dumping since the introduction of the landfill tax, prompting the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions (DETR) to release a report confirming the extent of the problems. ¹ The journalists also highlighted concerns over abuses of the landfill tax credits scheme, at a time when Ministers are engaged in sensitive negotiations over its future.