Combating Waste Crime Using Satellite Technologies
Free workshop for government and intergovernmental agencies working on waste crime and compliance
October 20, 2017  ·  DG Environment, European Commission

This will be the first dedicated workshop of its kind focusing on opportunities to regulate waste and tackle waste crime using satellite (Earth Observation and GNSS) technologies.

We discuss:

Waste crime problems & regulators' monitoring & intelligence needs

Space solutions to waste crime & monitoring

Regulatory interest in and concerns about using space-based technologies

Future use and trials of the technology

Waste crime is estimated to cost EU member states € 72 - 90 billion in cleanup costs and lost revenues. Considered one of the fastest growing areas of organized crime, it was recently described as "the new narcotics" by the Chief Executive of England’s Environment Agency. Waste crime costs millions in annual tax revenues, undercuts legitimate business, undermines investment and has the potential to damage the environment, blight communities and pose a risk to human health.

Recent developments in satellite technology have the potential to improve governments' ability to monitor, detect and prosecute waste crime. These include successful trials of a semi-automated model for detecting illegal waste sites, and practical tracking systems for waste consignment compliance and monitoring the disposal of WEEE and ELVs.


This workshop aims to share knowledge of these technological developments and discuss the nature and scale of waste crime problems, and how satellite based monitoring and tracking systems could improve compliance, detection and deterrence in future.

It includes speakers & open discussion sessions covering:

  • Economic and regulatory perspectives on waste crime
  • Use of Earth observation (EO) in environmental regulation
  • Illegal landfill detection - results from EO trials
  • GNSS tracking for compliance and WEEE and ELV studies
  • Regulatory challenges you may face
  • Future developments

Who should attend?

The workshop is for people working in waste crime policy, regulation or enforcement including:

  • Government and environmental agency staff working in waste crime policy or enforcement.
  • Government staff working in environmental taxation (e.g. landfill tax).
  • Staff from European institutions working in waste crime policy or enforcement. 
  • It will also be relevant to Copernicus, the INSPIRE Directive, EU and national waste legislation, the future of the Circular Economy, the EU Environmental Crime Directive, and national and EU-wide enforcement efforts, including under the Security Union agenda.

The workshop is free to attend. To encourage a spirit of open discussion, the workshop is only open to those working in relevant government bodies or EU institutions and is not open to journalists or industry. 

The workshop is supported by the European Space Agency Business Applications and organised by Air & Space Evidence and Telespazio Vega UK. The focus of the workshop is understanding how waste crime detection services might fit help regulation and enforcement in future and it is hoped that the workshop will lead to further funded trials of waste crime services.

Agenda
Friday, October 20
9:30 AM - 11:15 AM
9:30 AM - 11:15 AM
11:15 AM - 11:45 AM
11:15 AM - 11:45 AM
11:45 AM - 12:50 PM
12:50 PM - 1:30 PM
12:50 PM - 1:30 PM
1:30 PM - 3:00 PM
2:40 PM - 3:00 PM
2:40 PM - 3:00 PM
4:00 PM - 5:15 PM
4:00 PM - 5:15 PM
LOCATION
DG Environment, European Commission, 5 Avenue de Beaulieu Auderghem, 1160 Brussels
Map
Location: DG Environment, European Commission, 5 Avenue de Beaulieu Auderghem, 1160 Brussels

Background

With funding from the Open Data Incubator for Europe (ODINE), Air & Space Evidence pioneered a semi-automated detection model utilising satellite data (and machine learning algorithms), from open data sources, enabling us to offer an practical and cost effective geospatial intelligence service that can detect serious waste crime. Trials were undertaken in Northern Ireland with the cooperation of the Northern Ireland Environment Agency. Air & Space Evidence received further funding from the EU's LIFE SMART waste programme to further examine the possibilities of using EO data in waste crime compliance. The work conducted above resulted in the launch of a new service called “Waste from Space”, which Air & Space Evidence won the European Earth Observation Product of the Year Award 2017 at a ceremony in Brussels, from the European Association of Remote Sensing Companies.

This workshop is organised as part of a new project entitled "Space Based Support Services for Waste Management" funded by the European Space Agency (Business Applications Unit). This project, which is being conducted by both Air and Space Evidence Ltd and Telespazio VEGA Ltd, is examining the interest in a potential waste crime monitoring service. Engagement with governments, environment agencies, EU bodies and supranational environmental compliance networks is critical. The workshop will provide a forum to discuss their regulatory needs (so the service can focus on the most pressing problems), concerns and interest in using space based technologies to combat waste crime and to ensure waste compliance. If the project team can demonstrate that there is interest from regulatory agencies and departments in a waste crime service then it is hoped that this would lead to further major trials funded by the European Space Agency.

Views expressed during this workshop do not reflect the official opinion of the European Space Agency unless otherwise stated
In November 2016, Air & Space Evidence received funding from the Open Data Incubator
for Europe (ODINE), to develop a semi-automated detection model utilising satellite data
(and machine learning algorithms), from open data sources, enabling us to offer an effective
and commercially viable geospatial intelligence tool that can detect serious waste crime.
Trials were undertaken in Northern Ireland with the cooperation of the Northern Ireland
Environment Agency.
In December 2016, Air & Space Evidence received funding from the LIFE SMART waste
programme to further examine the possibilities of using EO data in waste crime compliance.
In July 2017, the work conducted above resulted in the launch of a new service called
“Waste from Space”, which Air & Space Evidence won the European Earth Observation
Product of the Year Award at a ceremony in Brussels, from the European Association of

Remote Sensing Companies.