2022-12-07

LONDON - A highly-produced three-part, narrative podcast, it follows the dirty trail of British waste from dustbins in England and exposes a British system creaking under the weight of hundreds of millions of tonnes of waste - with illegal dumping happening with impunity both at home and abroad. 

Into the Wasteland is the culmination of a year-long investigation by the British environment journalists Dan Ashby and Lucy Taylor, and their partners at the Polish investigative publisher Outriders, including Jakub Gornicki, Zuzanna Olejniczak and Ewa Dunal.

In the UK, there are a million incidents of 'flytipping' a year, many involving serious organised criminals. Almost a fifth of our waste - at some point - passes through criminal hands. And what isn't dealt with at home, is sent abroad for processing. In Poland, one of the countries that receives the most British waste, the team discovers allegations of waste being stored illegally, causing problems for local people. And further afield, an investigator tells us that more British waste may be being sent to Malaysia that official figures show - using the Netherlands as proxy. 

Team members

Lucy Taylor

Lucy Taylor is British investigative journalist, presenter and producer.

Lucy Taylor

Dan Ashby

Dan Ashby is a British investigative journalist, presenter and director.

Dan Ashby

Jakub Górnicki

Jakub Górnicki is journalist from Poland.

Jakub Górnicki

Ewa Dunal

Ewa Dunal is a Polish freelance journalist and podcast producer.

Ewa Dunal

Zuzanna Olejniczak

>Zuzanna Olejniczak (Poland) is editing advertising and promotional films, documentary short films and music videos.

Zuzanna Olejniczak
Media

Outriders

Founded in 2017, Outriders in an investigative non-profit newsroom covering global issues that have a local impact.

Outrider.ru

Smoke Trail Productions

From true-crime podcast investigations to documentary films, we believe in stories that get everyone hooked, no matter your interest in the environment.

Smoke Trail Productions
Supported
€10.200 allocated on 23/02/2022
ID
ENV1/2022/035

need resources for your own investigative story?

Journalismfund Europe's flexible grants programmes enable journalists to produce relevant public interest stories with a European mind-set from international, national, and regional perspectives.

Apply

support independent cross-border investigative journalism

We rely on your support to continue the work that we do. Make a gift of any amount today.

Donate