The current
climate of living with Covid-19 means that many of us are valuing green and
outdoor spaces more than ever, and they’ve taken on a special importance while
our freedoms have been drastically reduced.
Unfortunately,
the closure of many public dumps and recycling centres has led to a sharp spike
in people fly tipping instead of disposing of their waste in a safe,
environmentally friendly way. Fly tipping is a nuisance and it can have many
negative impacts on an area, from health hazards to simply making it look
unpleasant and run down. There are also important laws surrounding fly tipping,
and it’s vital that members of the public are aware of the reasons why this
practice is not acceptable. With this in mind, if you want to know more about
fly tipping and the law surrounding it, read on.
What is fly tipping?
Fly tipping
is defined as the ‘illegal deposit of any waste onto land that does not have a
licence to accept it’. This includes everything from leaving a bin bag full of
waste in a park, to dumping unwanted furniture in the street or leaving
truckloads of building or construction waste on private or public land. Fly
tipping is a big issue for many local areas as it destroys the natural beauty
of green spaces and can pose a health hazard to those living nearby.
The law
Fly tipping
isn’t just a nuisance, it’s a serious criminal offence for which you can be
prosecuted. There are several legal powers in place to help tackle fly tipping,
including issuing fines of up to £50,000, imprisonment and loss of rights to
drive the vehicle used to fly tip.
You can
report incidences of fly tipping by calling the Environmental Agency’s hotline
on 0800 807 060, and they can also advise you on what to do next if someone has
fly tipped on your private land.
Fly tipping
is a crime, so if you’re looking for professional waste disposal services in
Glasgow, Dumbarton or Lanarkshire, get in touch with the team at William
Thompson & Son. With over 70 years’ experience, we have all the skills and
experience you need to dispose of waste in an environmentally friendly way
that’s in line with all regulations.
Our landfill site is fully licenced and we work
closely with local agencies, including Historic Scotland and Environmental
Health, to ensure there’s as little negative impact to the environment as
possible. For more information about our landfill and waste disposal services,
give us a call today or find out more on our
website.
