Fly-tippers are creating eyesores within the local community, not to mention the potential health and environmental impact of the dumped litter.
Fly-tipping is the dumping of rubbish from smaller items such as bags of waste to larger items including pieces of furniture.
It is illegal and can result in prosecution. Courts can impose fines, seize vehicles and even imprison fly-tippers.
The maximum fine for fly-tipping is up to £50,000.
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) is the branch of government responsible for the protection of the environment.
Figures from DEFRA show that fly-tipping is still a huge problem which authorities work tirelessly to tackle and prevent.
Reports from 2019-20 show that all regions have issues with fly-tipping, as over 970,000 incidents were reported by local authorities in England within this time.
Figures demonstrate that in 2019-20, the South West reported the least amount of fly-tipping incidents, closely followed by the North East.
Middlesbrough reported 2,113 incidents in 2019-20.
And fly-tipping incidents are not without victims, as they create more expense for the taxpayer.
Reports indicate that in 2016-17, it cost £58 million to clear up waste from over one million fly-tipping incidents.
Usually, local authorities aim to remove the waste in 24 hours, however due to the pandemic, they are waiting 72 hours before dealing with the rubbish as Covid-19 can survive for up to three days outside of the body.
The majority of fly-tipping incidents reported by local authorities in 2019-20 were from a road or highway area.
The impact of fly-tipping on the environment is hardly a secret, as the dumped waste is a choking hazard to wildlife and a lot of the rubbish is not biodegradable.
The National Fly-Tipping Prevention Group, which is chaired by DEFRA, are a team of organisations raising awareness about the consequences of fly-tipping with the aim to eradicate it.
They encourage landowners to install CCTV as a deterrent.
A DEFRA spokesperson said: “Fly-tipping is completely unacceptable and we all have a role to play in looking after our environment and ensuring our waste is managed responsibly.
“The National Fly-Tipping Prevention Group (NFTPG) is a group of organisations working with a common aim to help prevent and tackle fly-tipping through influencing, advising and raising awareness about the anti-social nature and potential health and environmental damage fly-tipping can cause.”
Authorities advise witnesses of fly-tipping to take a note of the:
- time
- location
- vehicle registration details
- type of waste
- physical description of the people responsible
It is also important to note that it is not suggested that you should approach anyone you see fly-tipping.
To report a fly-tipping incident, you should visit https://www.gov.uk/report-flytipping.
For additional information about fly-tipping, visit the National Fly-Tipping Prevention Group.
