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Fly Tipping

Fly Tipping is the illegal disposal of rubbish or bulky items onto land with no licence to accept waste. Fly tipping occurs in both urban and rural areas. Hotspots include verges of country lanes, lay-bys and urban gap sites or back alleys. It affects the aesthetic appeal of an area and causes damage to the environment. Different types of waste are fly tipped or ‘dumped’ and can consist of large items of rubbish which should have been disposed of properly at a Recycling Centre, and for householders this is Free of Charge - See Recycling Centres In Moray 

Charitable Organisations may also benefit from donations of furniture in good condition.

Dumping household, industrial and commercial waste illegally is a serious criminal offence that carries a fine of up to £50,000 (unlimited if the case goes to the Crown Court) or an offender can even be sent to prison. It is also an offence to permit fly tipping.

Fly tipping is often associated with dumping waste from vehicles; in this case the person who owns the vehicle can also be prosecuted, which means that it is possible for a prosecution to occur when only the vehicle, not the driver, is identifiable. The police also have the powers to seize vehicles used for fly tipping.

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Why is Fly Tipping a problem?
  • Uncontrolled waste disposal can be hazardous to the public who may come in to contact with it e.g. chemical wastes, electrical items, syringes.
  • Environmental damage can result from illegally dumped waste.
  • Fly tipping looks unsightly which can have a detrimental affect on the appeal of an area or can harm investment into an area.
  • Cleaning up fly tipping costs council tax payers’ money. Currently Scottish local authorities spend in excess of £2.5 million each year clearing up instances of illegally dumped waste, not to mention the costs incurred by private land owners. For the year 2006-2007 fly tipping cost Moray constituents over £35,000.


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Why do people Fly Tip?

Commercial operators may fly tip waste to avoid paying the disposal fees. Where householders or businesses have work carried out by commercial operators it may be appropriate to enquire as to whether they are registered with SEPA in order to carry waste within Great Britain. There is a list of companies and individuals who are registered with SEPA to carry waste in Great Britain which can be accessed on the SEPA website. The collection of most household rubbish is already paid for through council tax, however large or bulky domestic items (which make up 50% of fly tippped waste) can be presented free of charge at a local Recycling Centre, or for a fee you can request a collection by booking a 'bulky' uplift. White goods are uplifted Free of Charge - Book a Bulky Uplift

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If you discover Fly Tipped Waste

Don’t:

  • touch the waste - it may contain syringes, broken glass, asbestos, toxic chemicals or other hazardous substances.
  • disturb the site; there may be evidence that could help identify the fly tippers and lead to their prosecution.

Do:

  • visually try to work out what the waste consists of and how much there is.
  • make a note of the day, date and time you saw the tipping, its exact location and whether it is in or near water.

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If you see someone Fly Tipping make a note of:
  • how many people are involved and what they look like.
  • what has been tipped - how much and what it looks like.
  • details of any vehicles involved including make, colour and registration number if possible.

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Reporting Fly Tipping

If you see anyone dumping rubbish illegally then call the Dumb Dumpers Stop Line on 0845 2 30 40 90, Report Online or visit www.dumbdumpers.org.

The call will be answered by trained staff who will assess the nature of the call. If the incident is on-going, is believed to be of a hazardous nature or near a watercourse the information will be passed to either the Police or Scottish Environment Protection Agency as appropriate.

If the incident is not urgent or the waste concerned is non-hazardous, the information will be passed to the Local Authority for investigation or you can contact Moray Council directly on 01343 557045 or email: waste@moray.gov.uk

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What is the legislation regarding Fly Tipping?

In Scotland, the main legislation concerning fly tipping is the Environmental Protection Act 1990 (EPA 1990), as amended.

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The Scottish Fly Tipping Forum

In February 2003, the Scottish Executive supported the development of a Scottish Fly Tipping Forum to tackle the issue. The Forum was established with all of the key stakeholders who are affected by fly tipping and the organisations responsible for the investigation and disposal of many fly tipping incidents. The work of the Forum includes:

  • Development of a national database of fly tipping incidents
  • Directing the national awareness campaign
  • Provision of best practice guidance
  • Training for local authority enforcement officers

The Forum is hosted and chaired by Keep Scotland Beautiful.

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Membership of the Fly Tipping Forum

Forum Member Organisations

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