ISRRA™ is Driving Change on Legacy Landfills - buckle up, Dorothy!

Our founder and director,

Luke Douglas-Home, and A Future Without Rubbish (AFWR) featured in Field Notes magazine, highlighting the growing recognition of one of the UK’s most overlooked environmental challenges: legacy landfill pollution.

The mention by the powerful Institute of Environmental Sciences reflects something imperative- historic landfill sites are not just relics of the past; they are active, evolving risks. Across the UK, there are over 20,000 closed or unregulated landfill sites that continue to pose threats to soil, water, air quality, and public health. Yet for decades, these risks have remained poorly understood, underreported, and often ignored.

That is exactly why we developed the Initial Site Risk and Responsibility Audit (ISRRA™) after our work on this subject for The Crown Estate and with councils and landlords.

What is ISRRA™?

ISRRA™ is a structured, evidence-based methodology designed to identify, assess, and quantify pollution risks from legacy landfill sites. It goes beyond surface-level assessments, combining historical research, environmental indicators, and accountability mapping to provide a clear picture of:

• The scale and nature of contamination risk

• The potential impact on surrounding communities and ecosystems

• The parties responsible, both past and present

• The urgent actions required

From Insight to Impact

Since its development, we have completed five ISRRA™ reports (Horncastle, Skegness and Lewes, alongside preliminary reports in Norfolk, Mersyside and Yorkshire). Each one has equipped councillors and the general public with knowledge of the real environmental and public threats imposed by legacy landfill sites. 

This is a critical milestone. For too long, legacy landfill issues have fallen between regulatory gaps, unclear ownership, and limited political will. Since the 1960s, we have witnessed a fundamental change in not only the amount of waste but also the chemical combination used within waste products, including PFAS. ISRRA™ changes that dynamic by providing:

• A robust evidence base that cannot be easily dismissed

• A transparent framework for decision-making

• A clear call to action for regulators and policymakers

Recognition in Field Notes is a reflection of this growing momentum. Our ISRRA™, has been presented in Parliament and to numerous councils - and it sits within Zanes Law.

Why This Matters Now

The risks associated with legacy landfills are not static. As climate change intensifies, an increased likelihood of flooding, coastal erosion, and extreme weather events is now the primary cause of pollution release, which rises significantly.

Communities living near these sites often remain unaware of the risks beneath their feet. Our ISRRA™ helps bring those risks into the open, ensuring they are acknowledged, measured, and addressed.

Building a Future Without Rubbish

At AFWR, our mission has always been clear: to confront the hidden legacy of waste and drive meaningful policy and governmental solutions.

ISRRA™ is one of our tools to achieve mission objectives, to educate and influence governmental strategy, not just for identifying problems, but for enabling action.

The recognition from Field Notes reinforces the importance of this work.

What Comes Next

We are continuing to expand the ISRRA™ programme, working with stakeholders, communities, and policymakers as we search for more and more funding, to join our existing funders - The King Charles Charitable Fund and The Orp Foundation - and make this important work rely on more than just their philanthropy. It is our lives and our environment that we must pay attention to.

With thanks to,