The Scourge of Fly-Tipping - And how to Fight It

When it comes to our countryside, it’s pretty safe to say that Scotland has some of the most outstanding areas of natural beauty in the world. Famed for our cobbled streets, mysterious lochs and beautiful mountain vistas, our landscape is an important part of Scottish heritage and is something we should strive to protect.

However, it’s for this reason that it is so upsetting when those of us decide to tarnish our beautiful natural environment with rubbish. Fly-tipping is a serious problem throughout Scotland, not only for environmental reasons but due to the issues it can create for communities at large. Costing the local authorities up to £4.5 million a year, illegal tipping is putting increasing pressure on Scotland in a variety of ways.

With this in mind, we look a little deeper at the scourge of fly-tipping and how we can best fight it for the good of Scotland.

Environmental impacts

Aside from fly-tipping making our environment look ugly and dirty, its impact on the surrounding environment can verge on the catastrophic. Depending on the waste tipped, chemicals can seep into the soil, damaging the local flora. Also, if livestock or wildlife digest anything affected by the contaminated area, they can become severely ill. 

There is also an increasing number of cases highlighting how fly-tipping is causing the death of trees in the surrounding area. Researchers in Livingstone have noted the town as being the biggest culprit for tipping in the UK with outcome causing lethal fungal infections to the area’s Sycamore trees.

Social impacts

We spend a lot on cleaning up the illegal antics of fly-tippers and with every penny spent on clearing, another penny is taken from important services needed for communities to run efficiently. 

Aside from the monetary issues, tipping can destroy neighbourhoods by increasing the number of pests, lowering property and business values and decimating tourism.

 

The law

Fly-tipping is a serious crime which, if you’re caught doing, can land you with a hefty fine of up to £40,000 and risk imprisonment if the case is deemed serious enough. With this in mind, it is in everyone’s best interest to use the correct and legal channels when looking to dispose of their waste.

 

What can we do?

Although the outlook may seem somewhat gloomy, there are definitely things we can all do to help minimise the impact of fly-tipping in Scotland. For starters, if you see someone fly-tipping, don’t approach them, instead look to get their vehicle registration or any other information that could be useful. 

It’s also essential that your waste is disposed of by a professional and is sent to a licenced landfill to be properly dealt with. Here at W M Thompson & Son, we understand the importance of protecting the environment, which is why our landfil

 

For more information on our range of services, from landfills to recycled aggregate products, visit our website or get in touch with the team on 01389 762271.