Fly-tipping is the illegal deposit of any waste onto land that does not have a licence to accept it.
When we think of fly tipping, we usually think of a mattress, a broken TV or fridge, or even a bin bag full of rubbish left in a communal garden or in the street.
But fly tipping can also be a bin bag left by the side of your bin or communal bin store. If it’s not in the bin, chances are it’s not going to be collected by your local council.
At the larger end of the scale fly-tipping can involve construction and demolition waste being tipped on different types of land. Uncontrolled illegal waste disposal can be hazardous to the public, especially if it contains toxic material or asbestos.
Fly-tipping is a serious criminal offence for which you can be prosecuted. The courts have various powers available to them to tackle fly-tipping, including imprisonment, unlimited fines and an order to deprive rights to a vehicle used to commit the offence.
Bulky Waste (e.g. fridges, sofas etc.) – your council is not obliged to remove this. However, many local authorities do provide a bulky waste collection service. Please contact your local council for details.
Garden Waste – most councils operate a garden waste collection, often in separate bins. Otherwise take garden waste to your local tip for composting or compost at home.
If you are asking someone else (such as a builder) to remove your waste as part of a job, you should check that they are a registered waste carrier. Ask to see their certificate, or alternatively check with the Environment Agency.
If you report it, the rubbish can be removed and with your help the crime can be investigated. If you see someone fly-tipping, or you want to report an area where fly-tipping has taken place, take note of the following:
- Date, time and place of the incident
- What the waste looks like and how much there is
- Descriptions of any person and/or vehicles involved along with the registration number.
DO NOT APPROACH FLY TIPPERS DIRECTLY OR PUT YOUR OWN SAFETY AT RISK.
Both the local authority and the Environment Agency have powers to tackle fly-tipping. Local Authorities will deal will smaller scale, more frequent incidents and the Environment Agency will deal with larger scale, more serious incidents of illegal waste disposal, or fly-tipping including hazardous wastes and tipping carried out by organised criminals.
Reports to the Environment Agency can be made using their national hotline number 0800 807 060.
If you see anyone on your street or estate fly tipping or you wish to report fly tipped waste, please let us know by calling our customer contact centre on 0300 011 1144 for Tameside and 0300 111 1133 for all other areas.
