Get Tough With The Fly-Tippers
. Time to get tough with the Fly-tippers
There were over 35,000 fly-tipping incidents in Wales last year and fly-tippers leave some pretty bizarre rubbish.
Fly tipping seems to be on the increase and the lanes around Wenvoe have recently witnessed the dumping of all manner of rubbish, including old mattresses, paint pots and even fridges. The widespread anger this practice generates seems to have little impact on the perpertrators One morbid litter bug dumped a coffin in the street in Redbridge, north-east London, along with a pile of tyres. Redbridge Council clean-up crews were relieved to discover that there was no body inside. Other bizarre examples have included a mattress hanging from a telegraph pole and live turtles left in a shoebox.
Fly tipping is not only a blight on our community but the environmental and financial costs are high. Every year clearing up after fly tipppers costs the Vale of Glamorgan Council about £20,000. Fly tipping is in fact a criminal offence. In the worse cases convictions in a crown court can result in unlimited fines and lengthy prison terms. The Vale of Glamorgan Council are in fact part of Fly-tipping Action Wales, a partnership initiative, sponsored by the Welsh Government and made up of 50 partners including the 22 local authorities in Wales, the national police and fire services, the National Farmers Union and others. As well as the recycling centres in Barry and Llandow, the Vale Council, like all local authorities in Wales, offer at a reasonable cost, a bulky item collection service.
You might be surprised to learn that over two-thirds of fly-tipping contains waste from people’s homes and often unscrupulous culprits are hired in good faith by members of the public to remove rubbish. But be warned! That cheap offer you found on social media might well be a scam! It’s so important to check with Natural Resources Wales that the person or company you are using is a registered waste carrier. If not and waste is identified as belonging to you, a heavy fine is the likely outcome. Incidentally, if you refuse to pay because you feel the problem was caused by the person you hired in good faith, think again. The matter will likely be taken to court and lead to an even higher fine. Incidentally, it is illegal to dump waste near any full bin. Apart from being unsightly this practice can be a health hazard, attracting rats etc.
A lot of charities like the British Heart Foundation are happy to collect donated items for free. One Cardiff based project set up by Cadwyn Housing Association, Nu Life Furniture upcycle unwanted household items, including furniture and white goods, to sell on to those who need them, at an extremely affordable price. If you live in Cardiff or surrounding areas and would like to donate your unwanted items to help people furnish their homes affordably, fill out the booking from on the Nu Life Furniture website: http://nulifefurniture.co.uk/donate. NuLife Furniture collections are free and the organisation is currently searching for the following priority items: fridges, fridge-freezers, wash machines, cookers, bed frames, mattresses, wardrobes, sofas, tables and chairs.
Shop a Tipper
It could be time for all of us to get tough with fly tippers. Fly-tipping fell by half in Wolverhampton after its council launched a “shop a tipper” campaign, where residents received a £100 gift voucher for information leading to a fine or successful prosecution. The council crushed two transit vans and two cars caught fly-tipping on CCTV. “We do not want fly-tipping in our city. If you don’t pay the fine, we will seize your vehicle and if you don’t come forward to claim it, it will be crushed,” said one councillor, Steve Evans.
You can check whether operators are licenced online at naturalresources.wales/checkWaste or by calling 03000 65 3000.
If you witness or see a case of fly-tipping you can report it online using a simple form on the Vale of Glamorgan Council website found at: https://forms.valeofglamorgan.gov.uk/en/Flytipping