Liverpool City Council is teaming up with Keep Britain Tidy for ‘Fight Fly-tipping Fortnight’, a new campaign to crack down on rogue ‘white van’ operators.
The campaign, which will run until Sunday 23 November, has been created to help residents protect themselves and their communities from the growing issue of waste crime.
Fly-tipping costs councils across England millions of pounds every year in clean-up costs, draining money that could otherwise be spent on essential local services.
In Liverpool, the Council cleared a total of 17,291 incidents in the past year, an increase of 4.3 per cent, costing taxpayers approximately £1 million. This could otherwise have been spent on improving local parks and greenspaces or introducing new public bins on the streets.
The campaign calls on people in the city to protect themselves and their communities from falling for a #RubbishDeal – low-cost, unlicensed services offered on social media by organised waste criminals.
Fight Fly-tipping Fortnight aims to shine a spotlight on rogue operators, who lure people in with cheap seals, only to illegally dump household waste on streets, fields and public spaces.
As part of the campaign, the Council is calling on households to take three simple steps to help them avoid rogue traders who are more likely to dump their rubbish on the streets:
- Ask for a waste carrier registration number
- Check it on the Environment Agency’s public register online or by calling 0300 065 3000
- Check whether the company will provide a receipt
When fly-tipping is discovered or reported, the Council’s Environmental Crime Enforcement team works closely with City Watch to try to track down the offender. Together, they use CCTV footage, photographs, witness statements, and potential evidence in the waste to find out who is responsible.
To further combat fly-tipping, the Council has increased the rate of penalties to deter people from offending, as well as stepping up enforcement efforts with its internal team and new external enforcement provider, WISE.
Litterers will now face a £150 penalty, while those caught dog fouling will be ordered to pay £100. A tiered penalty system has been introduced for fly-tipping, starting at £500, increasing depending on severity.
Anyone found to be dumping commercial or business waste will receive a FPN of £1,000. Vehicles used for fly-tipping can also be seized by the Council to prevent further misuse.
Once an initial investigation has taken place, the waste will be cleared.
Incidents of fly-tipping can be reported on the Council website.
Councillor Laura Robertson-Collins, Cabinet Member for Communities, Neighbourhoods and Streetscene said: “Fly-tipping is a blight on our streets and within our communities. We understand and share the frustration that residents have when they see illegally dumped rubbish.
“Our teams work tirelessly to track down offenders and clear the waste as soon as they can. Whether it’s fly-tipping in popular visitor areas, people’s alleyways, outside schools or even within our cemeteries, they have eyes across the whole city.
“Fly-tipping costs taxpayers thousands each year to clear up. That’s money that could, and should, be spent on making sure our city has services available to all residents and young people to help them thrive.
“It isn’t just about clearing fly-tipping once it’s happened either, it’s about preventing it from happening in the first place, and that’s where we need the help of our communities the most.
“If a deal looks too good to be true, it probably is and ultimately it’s our well-meaning residents and communities who pay the price.”
Dr. Anna Scott, Director of Services at Keep Britain Tidy said: “Councils are on the frontline of the fight against fly-tipping, responding day in, day out to clear dumped waste and keep our public spaces safe and clean. We know how much pressure this puts on already stretched local teams and we’re incredibly grateful to Liverpool City Council for joining forces with us for Fight Fly-tipping Fortnight.
“This campaign is about empowering residents to play their part in tackling this growing issue. By making simple checks before handing over waste and always getting a receipt, people can protect themselves from rogue traders, stop organised criminal networks in their tracks and help ensure public money is spent where it’s needed most.”
