Mel Stride MP has welcomed new measures to crack down on fly-tipping. Currently, householders have a responsibility for ensuring anyone they pay to dispose of their rubbish is a certified waste carrier, which can be done by asking to see the carrier’s certificate or by visiting the Environment Agency website and checking their business name or registration number via a simple search. Those without internet access can ring 0370 850 6506. From early 2019, householders could be fined up to £400 if they do not exercise this responsibility and organise someone to dispose of their rubbish only for that person to then tip it.
Mr Stride said:
“When we have excellent recycling centres like the Punchbowl Recycling Centre near Yeoford there is no excuse for fly-tipping. While the vast majority of people who pay licensed carriers to dispose of their waste are responsible and ensure they are using a certified company there are a minority who are happy to pay cash to someone they don’t know and whose credentials they haven’t checked and assume they deal with it legally. I hope the new penalties will incentivise greater diligence and can help reduce fly-tipping incidents, protect our countryside and save council tax payers money.”
After increases in fly-tipping each year since 2013/14, figures recently released for 2017-18 show a small decrease with incidents involving household waste down by 4% and fly-tipping on highways down by 7%. However, instances of criminal gangs collecting a significant amount of rubbish from someone only to tip it are continuing to rise which cost councils tens of millions of pounds a clear in clear-ups.
