Fly-tipping occurs when waste is tipped on land which does not have a waste management license. Fly-tipped waste can include anything from general household waste e.g., fridges, sofas, mattresses; garden waste to commercial and industrial waste e.g., waste soils, clinical waste, rubble, tyres.

Fly-tipping is unsightly, can present a hazard to the public, cause pollution of land and watercourses and costs the council significant amounts of money to clear it away. Last year alone the removal and disposal of fly tipped waste cost the council approximately £150,000.

The Law

Fly-tipping is a serious criminal offence and anyone, including householders, caught disposing of their waste unlawfully can be prosecuted under the Environmental Protection Act 1990. The maximum penalty is a fine of £50,000 and/or twelve months imprisonment. If a prosecution is taken to Crown Court the fines can be unlimited and/or imprisonment of up to five years and if hazardous waste is dumped, such as asbestos, a prison sentence of up to five years can be imposed.
Fly-tipping is often associated with the dumping of waste from vehicles. Under these circumstances the person controlling the use of the vehicle can also be prosecuted, which means a prosecution can occur when only the vehicle, not the driver, is identifiable. The Police also have the powers to seize vehicles used for flytipping.

Where to dispose of your rubbish

Tamworth residents can dispose of extra waste at the Household Recycling Centres, of which the nearest is in Lichfield. Please visit Staffordshire County Council's website for opening times and further details.

Glass, paper and drinks cans can be recycled in your weekly blue box collection or at your local bring site, many of which also take textiles.

If you are a householder, you can dispose of bulky items such as unwanted furniture, old cookers and fridges, carpets and scrap metal goods for a small charge by ringing the joint waste number on 0845 002 0022. They will arrange with you a convenient date for collection.

You can find more information on www.recyclefortamworth.co.uk

How you can help

The Council spends considerable amounts of time and money removing fly-tipped rubbish and is seeking the help of the public to tackle this problem.

If you see somebody you suspect of fly-tipping, what should you do?

If possible, please make a note of:

• The day, date and time you saw the tipping.
• That you saw:
  - How many people were flytipping and what they looked like
  - What they were actually doing
  - Any vehicles involved - their make, colour and registration number
• Where were you when you saw the flytipping:
  - What kind of view you had
  - How far away you were
  - Weather and light conditions
• What was tipped:
  - How much?
  - What it looked like

REMEMBER - DON'T CONFRONT THE FLY-TIPPERS AND PUT YOURSELF AT RISK!

Write the details down as soon as possible. Council residents should contact their Area Housing Office to report the fly tipping or call the Council on 01827 709709 to report the matter. You may be asked to make a written statement about what you saw. You can also report the details using the online Report It form.

What the Council will do with your report

We will inspect the dumped materials and arrange for removal.

We will collect evidence and interview any suspects.
If we collect sufficient evidence of any fly-tipping, we will prosecute the offender through the criminal courts.

The Council wants to stamp out fly-tipping and will not hesitate in prosecuting individuals who do not dispose of their waste in a responsible manner.