Call for extra vigilance to help stop post-lockdown fly tipping

The unique circumstances of the coronavirus lockdown have led to a national surge in the problem of opportunistic waste carriers who all too often simply fly tip people’s waste, warns Buckinghamshire Council’s illegal waste enforcement team, who have the job of tracing and prosecuting offenders under the Buckinghamshire’s ‘zero tolerance’ approach to fly tipping.

“That’s why I’m asking people to be extra vigilant”, said Buckinghamshire Council’s Cabinet Member for Environment & Climate Change Bill Chapple OBE: “Lockdown has meant that many of us have had the opportunity to do the biggest spring clean ever, or to finally get into that long-intended DIY project – and that’s resulted in a lot of extra waste. Added to that, the housing market is beginning to get going again, and there will be lots of clearing out as delayed house moves start to take place.

“But don’t be tempted to hire a ‘man with a van’ who’s offering a cheap job. There’s a legal responsibility to ensure that your waste is disposed of properly – and that means using a bona fide licensed carrier. Check the SCRAP fly tipping code – it tells you everything you need to do to avoid a rogue operator that might just dump your waste at the roadside.”

Check out the SCRAP fly tipping code: www.recycleforbuckinghamshire.co.uk/scrap-fly-tipping