What is fly-tipping?
Fly-tipping is the dumping of rubbish or items, on land or in water. This can include: Bin bags, furniture, mattresses, large electrical items such as fridges, washing machines and cookers.
Some examples of fly-tipping are:
- Putting bin bags in an alleyway or on a street
- Illegal traders getting paid to collect waste, then dumping it
- Leaving items next to bins
- Furniture or electrical equipment being left outside a home
- Dumping garden waste in a lay-by
- Leaving items outside of recycling centres/tips
How to get rid of rubbish and items properly
You are personally responsible for getting rid of your rubbish. If your waste is found dumped you could be convicted in court and fined by the Council. There are many ways you can get rid of items and waste properly:
- Use your rubbish and recycling bins correctly
- Have large items collected by us
- Take items to a recycling centre/tip. You can usually take items including mattresses, electrical items, furniture, fridges and freezers and general waste (black bags), as well as recyclable items that won't fit in your own bins
- Use a registered rubbish collector
- Donate, reuse or recycle as much as possible.
How to report fly-tipping
Each year dozens of people and companies are prosecuted and fined for incidents of fly-tipping. Many of these convictions came after residents reported the crimes to us. Once we have the information, we will investigate and prosecute. Fines range from £400 to £50,000.