What on earth is fly-tipping?
Fly-tipping is the illegal dumping of waste and it is a crime punishable by up to a £50,000 fine or imprisonment.
Everyone has a legal ‘duty of care’ to ensure your household or business waste is disposed of correctly. You can be prosecuted even if your waste is fly tipped by someone else on your behalf. It can be as small as a single bag to as big as an entire truck load of rubbish.
If it’s your waste, it’s your responsibility.
What are the impacts?
Fly-tipping:
- is a criminal activity that can cause serious pollution to the environment, it is a risk to human health and can harm wildlife and farm animals
- spoils the local neighbourhoods and quality of life
- costs an estimated £100 million in total to clean up
- costs local authorities alone £44 million each year to clear up
- is seen as a major problem by over three quarters of landowners and affects 67% of farmers
- undermines legitimate waste management companies who are undercut by illegal operators
How is fly-tipping affecting the Merthyr & Caerphilly County Borough?
Harmful to our local environment
Spoils local communities within the borough
Costs the local authority thousands each year to clean up
Communities subject to repeated fly-tipping may suffer declining property prices
...was what it cost the local authorities in total 2020/2021 to clear fly-tipped waste from our local communities, parks and public spaces in the Merthyr & Caerphilly Borough.
Recorded fly-tipping incidents by size in total 2020/2021 in the Merthyr & Caerphilly Borough
How can we prevent fly-tipping?
Use neighbourhood recycling banks or household waste recycling centres
Find out when your nearest recycling centre is open, what you can take there and how to get a permit to bring a van or trailer.
Sell or donate your unwanted items
Use social media groups or websites like eBay, Gumtree and Freecycle. Only donate items to charity shops when they're open.
Report it
Report all fly tipping incidents to the council, whether your saw it in progress or not.
Use your local councils' bulky waste collection service
Your council can collect bulky items directly from your house – visit their website for details.
Use a registered waste carrier
Click here to find a local trader that will legally dispose of your waste at a licenced waste transfer station for a cost.