Fly tipping is the illegal dumping of waste on council owned or private land. The waste can include household, industrial and hazardous waste and can be harmful to the surrounding environment due to chemicals and toxins. It is an offence under the Environmental Protection Act 1990 to fly-tip and if caught, an offender can face a £50,000 fine and up to 5 years imprisonment.
At the worst it can cause long lasting contamination, pollution and put human health at risk. If dumped in water or near water, it can pollute ponds and rivers killing wildlife. Waste such as dumped sofas and furniture are a dangerous fire risk in built-up areas, woodland and marshes. To protect the environment report any suspected fly tipping immediately to your local council.
In recent years there has been a heavy rise in the fly tipping rate around the UK. There is much speculation about the cause of the increase. Some blame the reduced waste collections in some parts of the country for the increase. Most are in agreement that it is due to councils raising fees to use local tips, recycling centres and skip services. Charges have risen exponentially over the last few years, with some councils raising their charges by 297% between 2009 and 2010.
Fly tipping is not only damaging for the environment but is costing taxpayers thousands of pounds a year. Birmingham city council spent £750,000 in 2010 clearing fly tipping alone. Fly tipping is not an isolated problem, it affects everyone. Private land owners such as farmers are increasingly at risk and are warning home owners to be aware of cowboy waste collectors who offer a deal too cheap to be true. These con-men are taking money and fly-tipping illegally.
HIPPOWASTETM are a fully certified carrier of waste in the UK. By using a HIPPOBAG skip bag, you can be confident that 80% of the waste will be recycled and what can’t be recycled is managed safely.
What is your opinion on fly tipping? Get involved by posting to our Twitter page, using the hashtag ‘#flytipping’.
