ILLEGAL waste dumpers will be targeted in a new campaign that aims to reduce fly-tipping, after the council spent £60,000 cleaning up the county at the beginning of the year.
The SCRAP fly-tipping campaign has been launched, targetting illegal waste carriers who dump, burn or bury waste for money, and to help householders, businesses and landowners understand their duty of care when it comes to waste.
Between April 2020 and January 2021, there were 1,501 incidents of fly-tipping reported to Dorset Council, costing £60,840 to clear up and prompting the council to partner with Dorset Police, BCP Council, and the Environment Agency to take action.
The SCRAP campaign educates people on how to follow their duty of care when they have got waste to dispose of, and to be wary of criminals offering to dispose of waste for a fee:
- Suspect all waste carriers until they have provided their licence
- Check their licence details on the public register for waste carriers
- Refuse unexpected offers to take your waste away
- Ask how your rubbish will be disposed of
- Paperwork – get an invoice or receipt for the waste they’re taking, including their contact details.
Dorset Police and Crime Commissioner David Sidwick said: "Fly-tipping and other types of waste crime are a blight on our neighbourhoods, communities and environment. Having met with a number of residents across Dorset to discuss their experience of this issue, it is important that we continue to address their concerns.
"Only by eliminating the source of business for waste criminals can we truly tackle the problem. By making sure we all know how to legally and safely dispose of our waste we can drive illegal operators out of business."
Councillor Jill Haynes, Dorset Council portfolio holder for customer and community services, said: "If you produce waste at home or from a business, you have a responsibility to ensure it is disposed of legally and safely.
"This means making sure anyone who is handling your waste is licensed to do so. It is vital that you take steps to check that your rubbish will be disposed of correctly and that you are confident you know where it will end up.
"Be especially wary of 'Man in a Van' services promoted online via social media - if they end up fly-tipping your waste you run the risk of a fine or even legal action.
"There are no excuses for fly-tipping. It's unsightly and both damaging and dangerous to the environment, We all have a part to play in stopping this anti-social behaviour and with both the public and agencies working together, we can make a positive impact."
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