Environment

Fly tipping - Illegal rubbish dumping

Fly tipping is the illegal dumping of rubbish.

A fly tip is any refuse bag, bulky or loose material that has been dumped in a public space or left on land without the owner's permission
Fly tips come from a number of sources and include domestic rubbish bags and household goods, small trade businesses tipping waste, large professional fly tippers carrying up to 40 tonnes or more of hard core waste
Fly tipped items may include furniture and household accessories (fridges, freezers, cookers) building rubble, carpeting, shopping trolleys, hazardous waste and any other items of refuse

These items can pose a danger to the public and are often unsightly and therefore need to be removed quickly.

The Law

The Environmental Protection Act 1990 (Section 87) states that if any person throws down, drops or otherwise deposits in, into or from any place or leaves anything whatsoever in such circumstances as to cause, or contribute to, or tend to lead to, the defacement by litter of any place, they may be guilty of an offence.

The unauthorised placing or disposing of trade waste under the above circumstances is covered under section 34 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 for which there is an unlimited fine and possible imprisonment. Dumping/Fly tipping is bad for the environment - bad for health-untidy and makes the area unattractive and uninviting.

What you can do to help

Make sure you are aware of the collection dates for rubbish in your area
Respect these collection dates and put rubbish bags out on the morning of collection
If building work is being undertaken or gardens are being cleared, please ensure the workmen intend to dispose of waste responsibly
If residents see a fly tip happening, they should take the details of any vehicle involved, the time, date and basic description of the offenders
Make sure you record a description of the type of waste (for instance 20 black bags and an old sofa)
Under no circumstances should residents try to challenge or make known to the offenders what they are doing. Your safety is of great importance
Do not touch the waste, as there may be hidden dangers that could cause harm
Witnesses should report what has taken place to the Street Warden service through Barking and Dagenham Direct or online with our fly tipping report form

What we will do to help

If anyone is caught fly tipping, they will be prosecuted
Fixed penalties will be issued to people caught littering, fly posting and spraying graffiti
Statutory notices will be served on owners or occupiers to clean up privately-owned land and property where fly tipping has occurred
Street cleansing staff or approved contractors will remove fly tipped rubbish
We offer a collection service for bulky goods such as fridges, furniture and vehicles. Contact Barking and Dagenham Direct for removal of bulky items
We will clear fly tipped waste within 24 hours of it being reported by the public or another Council agency
We have introduced strategies for denying access to common areas used to dump waste as private footpaths and alleyways are the responsibility of individual owners, not ours
The Environmental Improvement team can fit security gates under the Alley gate scheme to prevent access to fly-tippers
Privately owned alleys are also being targeted by the Street Warden Service to encourage the landowners to gate the alley to prevent Antisocial Behaviour, crime and fly tipping
The scheme has proved very successful by stopping abuses of these spaces, while allowing shopkeepers and residents full access