With Covid-19 forcing household waste centres to close and charity shops not taking unwanted items, there has been an increase in fly tipping with councils claiming it has risen three fold.

With more of the population at home on lockdown, they are using the time to get stuck in to DIY and gardening projects.  Similar to what we, as a recycling centre see on bank holiday weekends when we have an increase in skip hire for households to take on these projects.

Some residents may be offered disposal of their waste by collectors who travel around in vans or trucks.  In some cases the waste is then fly tipped rather than being taken to a waste recycling centre like ours. It is your duty to ensure your waste is disposed of properly so if you use a man in a van, we urge you to check that they hold a waste carriers license before they take your rubbish away.

MD Adrian Dodds said “it is important that whoever disposes of your waste is doing it legally.  If any fly tipping can be traced back to you there is a minimum fine of £120 and you can face prosecution so it’s just not worth the risk as you could be out of pocket in the long run and it’s not good for the landscape”.