Fly-tipping – what you can do :Cross Stitch – Home and community

Dumping waste where it’s not allowed, or allowing others to do so, is a criminal offence. You could face very large fines and even be sent to prison. Find out how to avoid fly-tipping and how to report it to your council or the Environment Agency.

Fly-tipping is the illegal dumping of waste on land that doesn’t have a licence to receive it.

Fly-tipping can be dangerous, pollute land and waterways and costs the taxpayer significant amounts of money to clear away.

Some people make money by charging to take waste away illegally and then fly-tipping it.

Local authorities and the Environment Agency are responsible for clearing up / investigating fly-tipping on public land. Clearing fly-tipping from private land is the responsibility of the landowner.

Dumping waste illegally is a serious criminal offence that carries a fine of up to £50,000 (unlimited if the case goes to the Crown Court). You could also face a prison sentence of up to five years for fly-tipping. Local councils treat fly-tipping very seriously and will usually prosecute anyone caught.

You could also face the same penalties if:

  • you allow someone to fly-tip on your land

  • a vehicle registered to you is used to fly-tip

You could face penalties of up to £5,000 if you don’t check that the company or person you give waste to:

  • has a licence to carry waste

  • is not taking it to an unlicensed site

To find out how to check the company or person taking your waste, see the ‘How to make sure you don’t fly-tip’ section.

If you discover fly-tipped waste, there are some do’s and don’ts:

Don’t:

  • don’t touch the waste – it may contain syringes, toxic chemicals or other hazardous substances
  • don’t disturb the site – there may be evidence that could help identify the fly-tippers and lead to their prosecution

Do:

  • visually try to work out what the waste consists of and how much there is
  • make a note of the day, date and time you saw the tipping, its exact location and whether it’s in or near water

If you see someone fly-tipping, make a note of:

  • how many people are involved and what they look like
  • what has been tipped – how much and what it looks like
  • details of any vehicles involved including make, colour and registration number if possible

Be very careful. Remember that fly-tippers are doing something illegal – they are unlikely to welcome people observing them or taking notes or photographs.

Report fly-tipping

You should contact your local council to report fly-tipping. Provide as much detail as possible. The link below will take you to your local council website where you can find out more.

Alternatively, you can contact the Environment Agency on 0800 80 70 60. The Environment Agency deals with fly-tipping incidents if they involve:

  • very large amounts of waste
  • organised or criminal fly-tipping operations
  • hazardous waste