Government's fly-tipping crackdown means no charges for disposing of DIY rubbish
The government sets plan to crackdown on fly-tipping
Last updated 29th May 2022
The government have announced that households will no longer have to pay to dispose of DIY waste, under plans to change the rules.
Currently some local authorities are allowed to charge for DIY waste from households, but new proposals call for no charge to get rid of waste including plasterboards, bricks, and bath units.
It comes as part of the move to crack down on fly-tipping, which has surged since the beginning of the pandemic.
What changes are the government making around fly-tipping?
A number of local authorities charge for construction waste such as paving slabs and roofing materials, but the Government is today consulting (LINK) on amending legislation so that householders cannot be charged for of DIY waste at recycling centres.
Government proposals include the following changes:
- Plans to save money for households disposing of DIY waste
- New grant funding for Local Authorities to clamp down on fly-tipping
- Views requested on booking systems at recycling centres
Today, a call for evidence (LINK) on the use of booking systems at recycling centres will be launched.
Some of which were brought in when restrictions were imposed during the pandemic – amid concerns these could be making it harder for people to dispose of their waste and increasing the risk of fly-tipping.
Alongside this, a number of councils in England will be awarded grants to tackle fly-tipping through trial projects, including CCTV to target hotspots.
‘Plans to reform the waste industry’
These new plans build on extra funding given to the Environment Agency to tackle waste crime as well as new powers to stop illegal waste sites posing a risk to the environment, including the ability to lock up sites and force rogue operators to clean up all their waste.
The action announced today comes after plans to reform the waste industry, were launched in January.
Digital waste tracking will mean those handling waste will record information from the point waste is produced to the stage it is disposed of, recycled or reused, making it easier for regulators to detect illegal activity and tackle fly-tipping and other waste crime.
Should local authorities be charging to dispose of household waste?
The Government banned backdoor charges on local residents disposing of household rubbish at household waste centres in 2015, since then guidance has made clear that this includes DIY household waste.
Despite this, around a third of Local Authorities still charge for certain types of DIY waste, using rules designed for construction waste.
The changes outlined in a technical consultation published today will change this rule and could save households up to £10 for an individual item – for example, a sheet of plasterboard.
Single items, such as furniture and mattresses, accounted for 16% of total fly-tipping incidents in 2020/21, rising by 7% from the year before.
What is Fly-tipping?
Fly-tipping is a crime which blights communities, poses a risk to public health and the environment, it’s the illegal dumping of liquid or solid waste on land or in water.
The government say that The UK is committed to tackling illegal waste exports, and individuals and businesses found to be exporting incorrectly described waste can face a two-year jail term or an unlimited fine.
Environment Minister Jo Churchill said, “When it comes to fly-tipping, enough is enough. These appalling incidents cost us £392 million a year and it is time to put a stop to them.
“I want to make sure that recycling and the correct disposal of rubbish is free, accessible and easy for householders. No one should be tempted to fly tip or turn to waste criminals and rogue operators.
“Furthermore, the funding that we have announced for Local Authorities today will help them trial innovative new projects to put a stop to fly tipping. We will learn from the successes – and replicate them.”
There were over 60,000 fly-tipping incidents with construction, demolition and excavation material in 2020/21, an increase of 18% from 2019/20.”
What will the new fly-tipping council grants help fund?
The £450,000 fly-tipping Intervention fund allowed LAs to bid for grants of between £25k and £50k to implement capital projects to tackle fly-tipping, with 11 grants awarded.
The councils which have received funding to tackle fly-tipping are: Durham, Newham, Eastleigh Borough, Buckinghamshire, Stevenage, Winchester, Dover, Thanet, Telford and Wrekin, and Basingstoke and Deane.
New council grants totalling £450,000 are due to help fund a range of projects including:
- CCTV: CCTV cameras at hot-spot locations to help reduce the numbers of people dumping waste illegally.
- Artificial intelligence: Buckinghamshire Council plans to use cameras to send an alert to any visible left items at fly-tipping hotspots in real-time and link them to the vehicle that deposited them.
- Delivering education: Funding for Durham Council CCTV plans to direct individuals with a fly-tipping fine to the council’s digital educational tool, to educate and encourage long term behaviour change.
- ‘No bags on the street’ policy: Newham Council funding to prevent bags being on the street in front of business premises.
- Eco-design, ecolabelling and Extended producer responsibility: Extended producer responsibility – where manufacturers are responsible for the costs of dealing with waste created by their products.
Executive Director of the Environmental Services Association (ESA), Jacob Hayler, said, “There is no single ‘silver bullet’ to tackle the scourge of fly-tipping so we are pleased to see the Government announcing a range of new measures today to help deter this deeply anti-social criminal behaviour.”
Marcus Gover, WRAP CEO said, “The latest IPCC report clearly states that ‘it’s now or never’ if we are to act on global warming.
“Minimising waste is central to this and the introductions of grants to reduce fly tipping across England and Wales are necessary to help prevent the continual environmental cost of this illegal activity.”