Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council has this week launched its anti-fly-tipping campaign to help residents avoid falling foul of unlicensed waste carriers and crack down on offenders.
A demonstration of fly-tipping is set to be placed in Nuneaton town centre to represent what the waste looks like up close and the hazards it can present. In some instances, fly-tipping is thoughtlessly left to block roads or access to people’s businesses without consideration for its impact.
The Council’s Environmental Enforcement team will be on hand by the fly-tipping demonstration on Thursday, 20 March, to answer any questions passers-by may have.
Fly-tipping is a criminal offence punishable by a fine of up to £50,000 or 12 months imprisonment if convicted in a Magistrates’ Court. The offence can increase to an unlimited fine and up to five years imprisonment if convicted in Crown Court.
The Council is aware that several residents are using social media platforms with best intentions to find somebody to remove their waste, however, if the person(s) collecting your waste then fly tips it, the household that the waste belongs to could face the penalties.
When fly-tipping is found, the Council’s Environmental Enforcement team will investigate the waste to look for indication as to who may have dumped it or where it came from, and both parties can be held liable.
It is important to ensure that any person collecting your waste holds a Waste Carriers Licence, this can be checked by visiting the Environment Agency's website.
To avoid being caught out by unlicensed waste collectors, residents can make use of the Council’s own bulky waste collection scheme.
It is estimated that littering and fly-tipping costs the authority more than £1million a year to clean up, and to clamp down on incurring these costs, it is important that fly-tipping is reported, so as the offenders can be held responsible and penalised.
Cllr Rob Roze, Portfolio Holder for Planning and Enforcement, said:
“Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council takes a zero-tolerance approach to fly-tipping.
“The cost of cleaning up the mess irresponsibly dumped by unlicensed waste collectors falls to the taxpayer when those who caused it cannot be found.
“That’s why we are calling on residents to be vigilant when hiring somebody to collect their waste for disposal.”
Follow the SCRAP code to avoid being caught out:
- S – Suspect all waste carriers. Do not allow your waste to be collected until you know the collector is legitimate
- C – Check that the waste carrier is registered
- R – Refuse any unexpected offers to remove your waste
- A – Ask what will happen to your waste. Ensure the waste will be disposed of responsibly
- P – Paperwork must be obtained. Obtain an invoice for the waste removal. Do not pay cash to remove your trash. Pay by credit or with a debit card to provide a traceable link