Fly-tipping, littering and dumped cars are all examples of enviro-crime.
You can help keep our streets clean, protect the environment and keep Kent’s countryside looking beautiful by:
1. Not flytipping
2. Reporting any incidences of flytipping crime to your local council
Not picking up after your dog has fouled a pavement or park is just plain antisocial. It makes our towns and communities look shabby and – in the case of dog’s mess – can be harmful to human health as well as downright unpleasant.
Not littering
Discarded litter, cigarette butts and plastics will also find their way into the environment where they cause pollution and harm wildlife. Litter also costs local councils money to clear up, money that would be better spent on providing services to local residents.
Did you know just one cigarette butt per litre of water is highly toxic to fish?
So, please remember:
- to put your litter in a bin
- if there’s no bin, then take it home with you
- if you have a picnic in a park or on the beach, anything you take with you should go home with you
- don’t flick your cigarette butts on the ground: either stub them out and put them in a bin or think about having a small portable ashtray or special cigarette butt pouch in your pocket (many local councils will provide these for you, or you can easily buy them online).
- carry poo bags with you when walking your dog (again, many councils will provide these free of charge) and once you’ve scooped please, please, please don’t throw the bag in a hedge or hang it on a branch but put it in a bin
As well as helping to keep our streets, parks, countryside and beaches clean – not to mention protecting the environment – disposing of litter and dog poo properly will save you the risk of getting an on the spot fine of up to £150.
Fly-tipping
Fly-tipping is the illegal dumping of large items or waste on public roads, land or into rivers.
This includes large household items such as washing machines, furniture and sofas. It can also be discarded materials from construction sites.
The most usual scenario is builders getting rid of construction waste using illegal waste disposal companies or householders who don’t get rid of their waste in the proper way. But even dumping a single sack of rubbish is still fly-tipping.
Anyone fly-tipping waste is committing a serious offence and may be fined up to £50,000 or in some cases sent to prison for up to 12 months.
Where fly-tipping involves the use of a vehicle, the driver can be prosecuted, as can the person who owns the vehicle, and the vehicle can be seized.
Fly-tipping can be a health hazard, not to mention an eyesore. The material that has been dumped can create a dangerous environment for children, pets and wildlife.
Clearing fly-tipped waste on roads and council land is the responsibility of your local council and is paid for using taxpayers’ money. The burden of dealing with rubbish left on private land falls on the landowner and it can be a real problem for farmers who are left having to pay to remove someone else’s mess.
Local authorities and the police are working hard to crack down on culprits, and will take them to court when caught. Recent penalties in Kent have included imprisonment or a fine that can run into thousands of pounds.
Your responsibilities
If you decide to use someone else to dispose of your waste, it is your responsibility to ensure that they have the necessary permit from the Environment Agency.
Unlicensed carriers may be tempted to illegally dump the waste they collect in order to avoid the charges for proper disposal.
If waste originating from your property is found to have been fly-tipped, you are obliged to provide details of who you gave it to. If you did not check that the person you gave your waste to was a registered waste carrier then you may be prosecuted and run the risk of a £5,000 fine and a criminal record.
You can check if someone is a registered waste carrier by searching the Environment Agency's public register of waste carriers or by calling 03708 506 506.