What is fly-tipping?
Fly-tipping is the illegal deposit of any waste onto land with no licence to accept it. Only Household Waste Site and Transfer Stations are licensed to accept waste in Ceredigion. Fly-tipping is a serious environmental crime, and costs the UK taxpayer between £100-150 million every year.
Who deals with fly-tipping?
Ceredigion County Council and the Environment Agency in Wales both have powers to deal with fly-tipping. Most fly-tipping incidents are dealt with by Ceredigion County Council, while the Environment Agency deals with incidents involving hazardous waste, larger-scale incidents, and those involving gangs of organised fly-tippers.
While Ceredigion County Council is responsible for the removal of waste from public land, landowners retain responsibility for their own property- if waste has been dumped on your land, it is your responsibility to clean it up and pay to remove the waste.
Fly-tipping and the Law
The legislation tackling fly-tipping is to be found in the Environmental Protection Act 1990, as amended by the Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005.
The harshness of the penalty for fly-tipping depends on the seriousness of the offence, its impact on the environment and the cost of cleaning and dealing with any resulting pollution. Penalties can include:
In Magistrates Court :
- Fine £50,000 and / or 12 months in prison
In Crown Court:
- Unlimited fine and / or 5 years in prison
- Forteiture of vehicle used for fly tipping
- ASBO (Anti Social Behaviour Order)
- Driving Bans, Community Punishment Orders, Conditional Discharge, Formal Cautions, Costs Awards, Referral Orders
You could also face penalties of up to £5,000 if you don't check that the company or person you give waste to has a license to carry waste and/ or is not taking it to an unlicensed site.
What should you do if you discover fly-tipping?
Firstly, remember that your own safety is paramount. Fly-tipped waste may be hazardous. Do not open black bags, drums or containers. Even innocuous-looking waste can cover up or contain harmful items. Furthermore, fly-tippers are committing a crime, and are unlikely to welcome passers-by taking photos or recording details.
Please record the following information:
- Today's date
- Whether the items are already present, or if you witnessed them being dumped
- The day, date and time that you discovered the material
- Location (street name, road number, grid reference)
- Description of the waste (tyres, household electronics, black bags, etc.)
- Quantity of waste dumped (van-load, number of black bags, approximate number of items, etc.)
If you saw the waste being dumped, please record this additional information:
- Who was with you when you saw this
- Who you saw dumping the waste (number of people, rough descriptions, genders, hair colours, etc.)
- What you saw the fly-tippers actually do
- Whether any vehicles were involved, and the details of that vehicle (type, colour, make, model, etc.)
- Any other relevant information
If possible, please take photographs.
Once gathered, please send this information to Ceredigion County Council. Contact information can be found below.
How can you help stop fly-tipping?
Ensure you use a legal waste contractor. You are responsible for disposal of your waste, and may be prosecuted if it is fly-tipped. Call the Environment Agency on 0370 850 6506 to ask for a Waste Registration Check. You can also check online at the link below.
Useful Links: