S.C.R.A.P. Fly Tipping and Dispose of Waste Responsibly

A county wide campaign has been launched to help reduce the number of fly tipping incidents across Hertfordshire.

The campaign, organised by the Hertfordshire Fly Tipping Group*, encourages Hertfordshire’s residents and businesses to follow the campaign’s S.C.R.A.P. code, which provides a check list to follow when arranging one-off collections of waste.

• Suspect all waste carriers; do not let them take your waste until they have proven themselves to be legitimate.
• Check their waste carrier’s registration details, then verify them by searching the Environment Agency or by calling 03708 506 506 .
• Refuse unsolicited offers to have any rubbish taken away.
• Ask what exactly is going to happen to your rubbish and seek evidence that it is going to be disposed of appropriately.
• Paperwork should be obtained. Make sure you get a proper invoice, waste transfer note or a receipt for your waste removal – this should give a description of the waste and provide the waste carrier’s contact details.

FTG Chairman and Partnership Development Manager for the Hertfordshire Waste Partnership, Duncan Jones, said: “Analysis and research shows that approximately two thirds of the fly tipping  incidents reported each year are as a result of normal household waste that has ‘leaked’ from established waste disposal routes.”

“Leaving waste items on the street for others to take, outside charity shops and next to street litter bins are all examples of fly tipping. These contribute to the thousands of fly tipping incidents reported in Hertfordshire each year and in 2016/17, cost tax payers over £1 million to clean up and investigate.”

Since April 2017, 35 people have been prosecuted for fly tipping offences in Hertfordshire and over 100 fixed penalty notices worth £300 have been issued.

Hertfordshire’s Police and Crime Commissioner, David Lloyd, said: “The public has a duty of care to ensure that their waste is disposed of responsibly and failure to do so could result in an unlimited line. It’s important that residents and businesses carry out the necessary checks to ensure contractors are properly licensed so they don’t end up in court being prosecuted for fly tipping.

“This year I have committed over £50,000 of funding to help local authorities tackle fly tipping across the county. This grant will be used to cover a wide range of initiatives, including the purchase of new CCTV cameras for use at fly tipping hotspots and resources to educate residents about the their duty of care when disposing of their waste.”

Hertfordshire Constabulary’s Chief Constable Charlie Hall, said: “Fly tipping is a serious concern which can blight our communities across Hertfordshire. I therefore welcome the launch of this campaign as it is very important the public is more aware about its responsibilities when disposing of waste.

“It is surprising to see how much fly tipped waste comes from normal households - remember we all have an obligation to dispose of our waste responsibly.

“The police will continue to work alongside local authorities and will not hesitate to use our resources and skills to help prosecute serious and serial fly tippers.”

The campaign will also be reminding Hertfordshire residents that if they see fly tipping in progress they should call 999 immediately, as well as reporting the incident to your local council at www.hertfordshire.gov.uk/flytipping . Local Borough and District councils can also give help and advice to residents who may be unsure of how to arrange for their waste disposal needs.

Background:

*The Hertfordshire Fly Tipping Group (FTG) is a multi-agency taskforce including the Boroughs, Districts and County Council as well as the Police, Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner, Herts Fire & Rescue, the Environment Agency, the National Farmers Union and Keep Britain Tidy.

The FTG has come together to improve how Hertfordshire responds to fly tipping. The on-going work programme is resulting in improvements in enforcement capability across the county as well as the rollout of new technology to assist in identifying and prosecuting fly tippers.