Rubbish pile in Caldecott Park marks fly-tipping crackdown

Rugby Borough Council staged the fly-tipping stunt to promote the launch of #CrimeNotToCare, a nationwide campaign co-ordinated by Keep Britain Tidy.

In 2016, the council dealt with more than 1,400 fly-tipping incidents, leaving the taxpayer to foot a clean-up bill of nearly £57,000.

Incidents ranged from major fly-tips of industrial waste on country lanes to the dumping of household items such as fridges and mattresses in the street.

Cllr Lisa Parker, portfolio holder for environment and public realm, said: “Fly-tipping costs the taxpayer tens of thousands of pounds every year and it’s vital residents realise responsibility for the safe and legal disposal of waste lies with the owner of the waste.

“While the majority of waste disposal companies, including ‘man with a van’ businesses, operate legitimately, residents need to be aware rogue traders who offer to get rid of rubbish on the cheap often end up fly-tipping the waste.

“We investigate all incidents of fly-tipping in the borough and, if we find evidence to trace the owner of the waste, we can take legal action, from issuing fixed penalty notices of up to £400 to taking the case to court.

“We’re backing the #CrimeNotToCare campaign to make sure our residents understand the message, ‘Your Rubbish, Your Responsibility.’

“It’s quick and easy to check whether the person you pay to take away your rubbish has a Waste Carrier Licence, and it could stop you facing a hefty fine and a criminal record.”

#CrimeNotToCare’s key message – ‘Your Rubbish, Your Responsibility’ – highlights the ‘duty of care’ householders have when disposing of waste, even when paying a ‘man with a van’ to take the rubbish away.

If a householder has failed to check whether a company or individual has a Waste Carrier Licence and the rubbish gets fly-tipped, the homeowner has responsibility for the waste and faces prosecution and a hefty fine.

The Environment Agency has a register of all licence holders, and residents can check a company or individual has a licence by calling 0370 8506 506 or visiting environment.data.gov.uk/public-register/view/search-waste-carriers-brokers.

Keep Britain Tidy chief executive Allison Ogden-Newton said: “#CrimeNotToCare is an important campaign for our country and we are delighted Rugby Borough Council is partnering with us on it.

“There are almost one million fly-tipping incidents in England every year and cleaning it all up costs us more than £50m a year.

“We need the public to understand their rubbish is their responsibility, and they must do the right thing.”

For more information on fly-tipping, visit www.rugby.gov.uk/flytipping.