Fly tipping: Don’t ignore the law
The number of incidents of fly-tipping in the UK continues to increase, despite local councils imposing much heavier fines and impounding and even crushing the vehicles involved.
Not only is this an environmental issue it’s also not something you can get away with lightly, with fines of up to £5,000 just for first offenders. There is a growing criminal industry of ‘Facebook fly-tippers’ who pose online as legitimate waste removal companies but then dump the rubbish on the streets.
And ‘Ignorance of the law’ is no excuse, as a 45-year-old man from Wolverhampton recently found out when he was fined £440 and ordered to pay costs of £1064, after using an illegal tipper to remove his rubbish which was later found fly tipped in a country park.
The environmental dilemma and the law
Here’s a few things you should ensure before hiring someone to remove your rubbish:
1 – Make sure they take environmental responsibilities seriously.
2 – Make sure they pledge to recycle as much material as possible.
3 – Make sure they can prove all materials are disposed of legally.
4 – Always ask to see their licence and ask for a receipt from wherever they left the waste.
An easy way to ensure your rubbish carrier won’t land themselves or you in any danger is to use sites such as Checkatrade.com with good accreditation from customers.