The dumping of illegal waste unfortunately still happens, scouring the UK Greenland and the backstreets of Britain. Unsuspecting business owners foot the bill, inadvertently paying good money only to be prosecuted alongside the criminals for these nefarious activities.
Thankfully, more and more news coverage from broadcasters such as the BBC has shone a spotlight on these neer-do-wells.
BBC Watchdog: Rogue Traders Investigation
Starting off the 40th season of the BBC Watchdog, Rogue Traders took an in-depth look at the people looking to make some quick money, damaging the UK countryside and its cities – fly-tippers.
The watchdog investigated a prolific culprit dumper in Cardiff, highlighting a prime example of the big problem. Warning bells began to ring when the tipper arrived without a waste carriers license.
This is a legal document issued by the Environmental Agency that allows people to collect your rubbish. Not only is this illegal, but if a fly-tipper were to dump your rubbish in an illegal waste site afterwards, you would be in deep water, facing a fine of up to £5000.
While in the episode, it was discovered the rubbish that was paid to be disposed of was left in someone else’s skip. The regular person wouldn’t go to extremes such as leaving a tracking device in their general waste bag to find out where it went.
If left unchecked this behaviour could be on the rise.
Fly Tipping: The Cost To The Tax Payer
In 2016/17 alone, over one million fly-tipping incidents were reported. It’s estimated clearing up this rubbish cost the taxpayers £58 million. It’s a flipped coin, with one council reducing their tip opening times, which residents have lambasted as an encouragement to fly-tippers in the area.
Other councils have taken a pro-active effort in capturing these criminals on camera offending and using their powers to impose fines upon them in court. One man was fined over £2,000 after an investigation found he had dumped illegal waste in two separate incidents. Another more recent incident involved a man from Ellesmere port who was caught on camera fly-tipping a large pile of domestic waste at the back of a car park. The council caught wind of this and ordered him to pay a total of £1,710. As you can tell, while individuals continue to try committing these acts, they are eventually caught and fined.
Thankfully, you can do your part in stopping this practice by placing your general waste in the hands of a trusted waste provider.
Direct365: General Waste Service Locations
At Direct365, we’ve become over the years a trusted waste management provider for thousands of small businesses across the UK. Our service comes equipped with all the legal documentation to ensure that when we pick up your waste, it’s being taken care of safely, ethically and most important of all, legally.
By comparing over 100+ waste suppliers, we can find the most suitable deal for you, not only that but the first 12 months are at a fixed price. No hidden fees to be seen.
Why not take a look yourself.
You can view all of the commercial waste locations that we occupy by clicking the image below.
