What is Fly-tipping?
Fly-tipping is more than one
black bag worth of waste. Fly-tipping is an illegal deposit
of waste on any land and can consist of household or
business waste including garden or construction waste, electrical
goods, furniture and hazardous liquids.
Who should I report to?
As a guideline, MSDC
enforcement officers endeavour to investigate and remove all
incidents of fly-tipping before the end of the next working day. If
the incident is large scale (over 18 tonnes) or poses a threat of
pollution to a water course, the Environment Agency should be
notified directly (see bottom of page for contact details).
What is the penalty?
Anyone caught fly-tipping can
be prosecuted under the Environmental Protection Act 1990. The
maximum penalty is £50,000 fine and/or twelve months imprisonment.
MSDC will prosecute anyone caught fly-tipping.
What should I do if I see someone
fly-tipping?
Members of the public are urged to report
fly-tipping and not to attempt to clean the waste themselves, as it
may be hazardous. Any residents of Mid-Suffolk who witness
fly-tipping are encouraged to contact the council, with the
following information:
- Date, time and location of the incident
- Type of waste (or what it looked like)
- How far they were from the incident
- A description of the persons involved and what they actually
did
- A description of any vehicles involved including registration
numbers
You should then report the incident to MSDC or the Environment
Agency. Both parties may wish to prosecute the person caught
fly-tipping and may rely on your evidence in court. Even if you do
not wish to be a witness or give your name, it is still important
to report these crimes, as this will be useful in any
prosecution.
What happens if hazardous waste is fly-tipped on public
land?
Hazardous waste is any solid or liquid material that
may cause harm to human health or the environment if not disposed
of correctly. The following are examples of hazardous waste:
- Asbestos
- Drums/containers of chemicals
- Motor parts
- Paint
- LPG cylinders
If any unidentified drums or containers are found with
potentially hazardous waste which exceeds 75 litres, the incident
will be passed to the Environment Agency.
Removal of fly-tipped hazardous waste can be extremely dangerous
and we would urge all members of the public to dispose of this type
of waste in a responsible manner. To find out how to dispose
of hazardous waste
click here
Commercial waste
To dispose of
commercial waste, you need to make sure that you have a contract
with a waste company licensed to remove your waste. There will be a
charge for this service. You have a ‘Duty of Care’ to ensure that
any waste generated by your business is collected, transported and
disposed of by a Registered Waste Carrier, and that the relevant
documentation is supplied (waste transfer note).
To report an incident of fly-tipping please contact our
Customer Service
Centre
Related links
Environment
Agency