Wiltshire Council looking to stop flytipping 'at source'
The authority says we have a 'duty of care' when having rubbish collected
A new campaign's aiming to further tackle flytipping across Wiltshire, but catching those behind it 'at source'.
The Council say we have a 'duty of care' when we're having rubbish collected, especially by people who advertise tip runs on social media.
If the person we give waste to then fly-tips it, it's the householder who could be liable for a £600 fixed penalty notice or prosecution.
We're asked to protect ourselves and 'Stop at Source' with three actions:
- Check the waste carriers licence of the people taking the rubbish away.
- Take their vehicle registration and details.
- Get a receipt
If the waste is dumped, the householder could then give council officers this information, which would then mean that the person who dumped the waste is liable for prosecution instead.
Cllr Nick Holder, Cabinet Member for Highways and Street Scene, said:
“Our award-winning We’re Targeting Fly-tippers (WTF) campaign has already taken great strides forward in reducing fly-tipping in Wiltshire and we are catching and prosecuting more offenders than ever before.
“However, we want to build on this through the Stop at Source (SAS) campaign, which warns people of the dangers of giving their rubbish to people who advertise ‘tip runs’ without taking the necessary steps to protect themselves.
“People need to know that if their rubbish is fly-tipped by another person, they could be issued with a fixed penalty notice or prosecuted. However, by checking the waste carriers licence, taking the vehicle details and getting a receipt, they are helping to protect themselves and are helping to Stop at Source.
“Everyone should be very wary of giving their rubbish to people who advertise tip runs – especially in social media groups – as these people can – and do – dump rubbish in our beautiful countryside. Even some licensed collectors have fly-tipped waste, so it is vital that people check vehicle details and get a receipt.
“We have a zero-tolerance approach to fly-tipping in Wiltshire, and with the help of our communities, we can Stop at Source.”