A Million Reasons Why We Need to Tackle Fly Tipping

A Million Reasons Why We Need to Tackle Fly Tipping

The fly-tipping stats have been released, and they make grim reading; there were over 1 million fly-tipping incidents in 2016-2017. The clean ups cost cash strapped councils £58 million, and most of the incidents involved household waste. And we aren’t just talking about the odd item, 1/3 of the incidents involved the equivalent of a van load of waste being dumped.

Why is the problem on this scale?

Cuts to council budgets have come at a time when they are having to deal with the increasing amounts of waste, and increasing demand for public services in general.

Organisations like Keep Britain Tidy are calling for councils to be given the resources they need to educate people about waste, keep recycling centres open, prosecute fly-tippers, and run bulky waste collection services that people can afford. The organisation says that all of this could be funded by the proceeds of landfill tax.

However, the responsibility does not just lie with councils. People need to take responsibility for their waste and they need to dispose of it legally and correctly.

The #CrimeNotToCare campaign

The huge increase in fly-tipping incidents was one of the reasons that Keep Britain Tidy launched its #CrimeNotToCare campaign this year, which is designed to help local authorities educate residents and help them to dispose of their waste correctly. Recent research carried out by the organisation found that people didn’t understand their responsibilities when it came to waste, and over a third of people thought that some kinds of waste disposal, which would be considered fly-tipping, were completely okay. The main message of the campaign is that if it’s your rubbish, it’s your responsibility.

A lack of awareness that fly-tipping is illegal

According to the research, 47% of people are unaware that they will be held responsible if their rubbish is fly-tipped by someone else, and 36% of people think that it’s fine to get rid of items like sofas or mattresses this way.

Mistakes you might be making

You might be unwittingly fly-tipping if you are doing any of these:

Paying someone to take away your waste

Wherever you find them, anyone disposing of waste must have a permit to be able to dispose of it legally.

Putting an extra bag of rubbish next to your bin

If you have an extra bag of rubbish that won’t fit in your bin, you could be fined if you leave it next to the bin or outside of your property.

Leaving your old unwanted white goods outside

This might be the norm in some areas, but the people who take away your old washing machine might not have a permit, so the waste is still legally your responsibly if they dump it.

Give rogue waste removers the boot

If you want to hire someone to remove your waste, follow these tips to make sure you’re doing it legally:

• Ask to see their waste carrier permit, which is handed out by the Environment Agency. The permit should have a number which can be verified on 03708 506 506.
• Always get a receipt before your waste is taken away.
• Make a note of their vehicle make, model, and registration if possible.
• If you see any incidences of fly-tipping, report it to your local council.