How often have you driven somewhere, perhaps for a day out in the countryside or on your way to a holiday destination, and have passed an unsightly heap of rubbish bags, a discarded armchair or a filthy sodden mattress by the side of some secluded country B-road?
These piles of refuse, whether household junk or builders materials, scrap metal or garden waste are the result of fly-tipping; the illegal dumping of waste on private ground or ground that is unlicensed to receive such waste.
But it’s not just road sides that are affected by fly tipping; inner-city alleyways, waste grounds, playing fields and even scenic areas of the British countryside are being defiled by the illegal and inconsiderate actions of the fly-tippers.
The adverse consequences of fly-tipping
Every local authority in the UK is committed to combating fly-tipping, and research into the undesirable consequences of this practice reveals why this is necessary.
The total cost to local authorities of clearing up illegally dumped waste is around £75 million each year. The Environment Agency estimates the cost of removing fly-tipped waste from agricultural land at around £50million per year.
Areas that are consistently subjected to fly-tipping have seen a decline in house prices and a consequent impact on local trade.
Aesthetic and economic considerations aside, the negligent dumping of waste has profound long-term implications for the natural environment and those that depend upon it.
The vast majority (around three-quarters) of refuse that is fly-tipped is household waste, and much of that is food.
Thanks to the indiscriminate littering habit of Britons, it’s estimated that the UK’s rat population is roughly the same as the human population.
Whilst rats may be thriving, other wildlife suffers as a consequence of fly-tipping; pollutants entering natural water systems are responsible for the deaths of around 100,000 marine animals each year, and around 70,000 animals are injured or killed annually as a result of discarded rubbish.
More worryingly, the potential harm that fly-tipping could cause to humans cannot be ignored. Hazardous waste such as asbestos, toxic chemicals, low-level radioactive waste, medical waste and refrigerant chemicals all pose potential dangers to the atmosphere, soil and water supply.
Why are people fly-tipping?
The collection and disposal of general household waste – and increasingly recyclable and garden waste – is covered by the Council Tax which pays for the weekly or fortnightly emptying of domestic rubbish bins.
But larger items of waste – fridge freezers, mattresses, larger quantities of household and garden rubbish attract a fee for their removal and disposal – the so-called ‘Landfill Tax’.
Although most local authorities charge relatively little for collecting larger household items and taking them to licensed waste management premises, it seems that an increasing number of people would rather expose themselves to the risk and inconvenience of loading up a car or van and driving it to some place away from their own premises to discreetly but inconsiderately dump it.
Taking action against fly-tipping
Fly-tipping is considered an extremely serious offence; those prosecuted can expect fines of anything up to £50,000 and the possibility of a custodial sentence of up to five years’ imprisonment.
Penalties are also applicable for anyone who entrusts their waste disposal to an unlicensed waste carrier or one that disposes of waste on an unlicensed site.
In 2007-2008, local authorities carried out 1,871 prosecutions against fly-tippers of which 95% resulted in successful convictions.
Sadly this is only scratches the surface of the fly-tipping problem, but it’s becoming easier to report offenders either to the Environment Agency (on 0800 80 70 60) or to local authorities via telephone or email.
Anyone who witnesses fly-tippers in action should not tackle them in person, but should note the time, date and location of the offence, a description of those involved, the type and amount of waste being dumped and – importantly – whether the site was in proximity to a water source such as a river or reservoir.
This information should then be passed on to the Environment Agency or your local authority for further investigation.
As vigilance, action and prosecutions in respect of the illegal act of fly-tipping increase, it seems bizarre that rather than finding the location of the nearest licensed refuse disposal site or paying the modest fee required for a skip or licensed rubbish disposal contractor, some people would rather risk a hefty fine or a spell behind bars for fly-tipping.
John is a guest blogger from UK skip hire site skipandbin.com – helping UK consumers find the cheapest skip hire services in their area.
- Manchester becomes a dumping ground as fly-tipping rates soar (menmedia.co.uk)
- George Osborne warned of fly-tipping chaos as ‘skip tax’ gets messy (independent.co.uk)
- A much better services for rubbish removal in New York City, New york (junkguysaustin.wordpress.com)