Fly-tipping in 2019

We all know that fly-tipping is illegal… or do we? And why does it still happen with such regularity?

 

Fly-tipping in Manchester

The illegal dumping of rubbish occurs all over the country, although a brief glance at the news shows that Manchester is a hotspot for this crime. From a 44ft trailer dumped on the streets of Openshaw to one Manchester resident repeatedly dumping waste outside her own home, Manchester City Council prosecutes regularly – there have been 221 prosecuted cases of fly-tipping and dumping of commercial waste in the last year alone. However, one report showed that there were 144 fly-tipping incidents per day occurring in the Greater Manchester area.

 

Disposing of waste legally

Disposing of waste isn’t only illegal for the fly-tipper. If you’ve given your waste to someone to dispose of on your behalf, you can still be charged if you don’t use a registered waste carrier and receive a waste transfer note. One Stockport builder allegedly gave his rubbish to a white van man, who dumped the waste. It was traced back to the original builder, who was fined £1,360.

Manchester-based startup Dsposal carried out a survey which found that “49 per cent [of adults in Greater Manchester] were completely unaware that rubbish clearance services were legally required to possess a waste carrier’s licence, with 65 per cent of those aged 18-34 unaware of the need for a licence.”

 

What can I do?

The Environment Agency have a list of registered waste carriers, so check if your carrier is listed. To dispose of business or commercial waste, ensure that you receive a waste transfer note, which transfers responsibility for that load of waste to the carrier.

The Manchester Evening News investigated fly-tipping in Manchester earlier this year, finding campaigns such as Keep Britain Tidy and Trash Talk have contributed to 7,000 Mancunians taking part in over 200 clean-up events. If you spot waste, you can report fly-tipping to Manchester City Council.

 

Legally disposing of waste with Singleton’s

While we don’t take all kinds of waste, our skips are available to hire for scrap metal disposal, and we have a waste management licence. Contact us about our skip options.

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