Warning over paying fly-tippers to remove your waste

Residents who pay unregistered people to remove their waste could be adding to fly-tipping in Tameside.

Tameside Council says it believes a high proportion of fly-tipping is down to bogus "man with a van" type traders, who often promote their services on social media and take payment from residents to remove waste - before illegally dumping it in local beauty spots and other secluded areas.

In a bid to tackle this, the council is raising awareness of the checks people must make to ensure their waste is being disposed of correctly, and it is reminding people that enforcement action will be taken against perpetrators – including residents.

The authority says a resident is liable if their waste is fly-tipped – even if it is dumped by someone else on their behalf – and they could face a £80 fixed penalty notice or an unlimited fine.

The council adds that it takes a zero tolerance approach to fly-tipping, saying it has issued 40 fixed penalty notices for the offence in the last three weeks alone.

It has issued the following advice on how people should check that their waste is being disposed of correctly: 

1. Ask the person removing the waste for their Waste Carriers Licence number – this is supplied by the Environment Agency and can be checked on the Environment Agency website. If the waste carrier does not have one they can be fined up to £5,000.

2. Ask for a receipt when making payment.

3. A registered waste carrier will provide documentation called a Duty of Care Certificate (also known as a waste transfer note) – they are legally obliged to provide this.

4. Ask them where the waste is going.

Fly-tipping includes leaving items beside street bins and recycling banks, on the ground by communal bin areas, outside closed recycling centres and charity shops and anywhere that isn’t a registered waste facility or container.

Cllr Allison Gwynne, Tameside Council’s executive member for neighbourhood services, said: “Fly-tipping is totally unacceptable and disrespectful to the local environment and community.

“Residents have a legal duty of care to ensure their household waste is disposed of correctly. They can be prosecuted even if their waste is fly-tipped by someone else on their behalf.

“We have fly-tipping enforcement teams out in all areas of the borough on a daily basis and all waste is checked for any evidence. We will take action where we can. Residents can do their bit by taking responsibility over their own waste and always ensuring they use registered waste carriers.”

People can find more information about fly-tipping on the council's website at www.tameside.gov.uk/flytipping. 

Main image:

One of the many occurrences of fly-tipping in Tameside during lockdown. Photo: Tameside Council.