Know what to do with your waste

Householders must ensure that household waste is properly disposed of. The householder duty of care is provided by Section 34 (2A) of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 (inserted by the Household Waste Duty of Care Regulations 2005). A breach of the household duty of care would also attract an unlimited fine if convicted. Anyone you are paying to collect waste on your behalf needs a waste carriers licence and should provide evidence of disposal at a properly licenced site. By checking that the person you are giving your waste to has one of these you are ensuring your waste won’t end up in the wrong place. It can be convenient to find someone online that offers ‘tip runs’ at a very affordable price, but as soon as you pay for your waste to be taken away it becomes business waste which is not accepted at the County Councils Household Recycling Centres. If you give waste to a third party waste carrier and they fly tip, you are liable for a fine and prosecution, know what to do with your waste and check if your waste carrier has a licence. 

There are other ways that some of us fly tip without meaning to. This could be anything from leaving a charity shop donation by their door because they aren’t open, to leaving recycling next to a bring bank because it is full. While good intentioned, these actions can cause just as many problems as intentionally fly tipping so make sure you know what to do with your waste.