This morning saw reports on BBC News and BBC Radio 4’s Today programme of increases in fly-tipping as the country remains in lockdown to tackle the Coronavirus.
With most people spending much more time at home and more household waste being produced, there is increasing pressure on waste services. While the majority of waste collection continues as normal, in recent weeks numerous councils across the country have closed some or all of their Household Waste & Recycling Centres (HWRCs), which means many households and businesses are having to hold on to their waste.
We are therefore asking people not to put things they would normally recycle or take to the tip in their rubbish bin. If there is currently no service in your area to recycle items like electrical appliances, garden waste or batteries, consider holding on to them until services resume. People can check services in their area on their council’s website.
The government continues to work closely with local authorities and the waste industry to ensure that waste collections are prioritised appropriately, and last week Defra published guidance for local authorities on how they could mitigate any impacts being felt on their waste collection services as a result of coronavirus.
This includes the recommendation that councils’ top priority should be the collection of residual ‘black bag’ waste to stop the build-up of waste and protect public health.
Through the guidance, we are also encouraging councils to keep their HWRCs open to ensure that bulky waste can continue to be disposed of, but only if social distancing guidelines can be adhered to on site.
If a local HWRC is open, then as per the laws and guidance currently in place, members of the public should only take their waste to a HWRC if the journey is ‘essential’, i.e. because the build-up of waste in the home may pose a risk of injury or to health.
Both the government and local authorities take fly-tipping very seriously, and anyone caught dumping waste illegally will be liable to a £400 fixed penalty notice. The Environment Agency and councils have the power to stop and search vehicles suspected of fly-tipping, and householders can also be fined up to £400 if they pass their waste to an unlicensed waste carrier which is subsequently fly-tipped.
If you need to report a waste crime like fly-tipping, call your local council or the Environment Agency incident hotline: 0800 80 70 60
The Recycle Now website also has a wealth of information that the public and businesses can use during this time.
A Defra spokesperson said:
Fly-tipping blights communities, spoils our countryside, and poses a risk to human health and the environment.
We all have a role to play in keeping our environment clean and now more than ever people must work together to support their communities during this challenging time.
3 comments
Comment by Tina posted on
HWRC are not Essential the only thing is essential is getting food and medicines. If we open HWRC then we are at high risk of the covid 19 and if we do open the HWRC they can put there own items in the skip. WE ARE ON LOCKDOWN.
Comment by Mr C. TROWBRIDGE posted on
ZI UNDERSTAND THAT OUR TIP IN MILLBROOK SOUTHAMPTON UK IS CLOSED DUE TO THE CORONA VIRUS. I HAVE CONTACTED THE LEADER OF SOUTHAMPTON CITY COUNCIL A CLLR BY THE NAME OF MR C. HAMMOND ALSO SHIRLEY HOUSING OFFICE AND THE COUNCILS ENVIRONMENTAL DEPT BUT WITHOUT A REPLY. I HAVE PUT FORWARD A IDEA LIKE THE SUPERMARKETS MARKETS AND PHARMACIES USE AND THAT IS TO LET IN THREE cars IN AT A TIME. WITH REFERENCE TO THE TIP. THREE CARS COULD BE LET IN THE DRIVER OF THE CAR JUST HAS TO PUT THEIR STUFF ON THE GROUND THEN DRIVE AWAY LEAVING THE STAFF TO PUT THE STUFF IN THE RELEVANT BINS. IF A SYSTEM LIKE THIS IS NOT ADOPTED THEN YOU WILL HAVE LATE NIGHT FLYTIPPING IN ROADS, LANE AND IN PATHS THUS BLOCKING THE ACCESS FOR EMERGENCY
VEHICLES WHICH COULD RESULT IN PEOPLE'S DEATH ALSO WITH THESE PILES OF STUFF COULD BE Filled wITH ROTTING FOOD WHICH WOULD ATTRACT VERMIN AND IF WE HAVE A HOT SUMMER WE COULD HAVE A HEALTH HAZARD ON OUR HANDS?.
P. S. OPEN THESE TIPS NOW?.
Comment by M. Hughes posted on
That took us nowhere
Just wishy washy words.