Before handing your waste over to a trader, ask to see their vehicle details and waste carriers’ licence or registration number. This is issued by the Environment Agency. You can check a waste carriers' licence online.
Fly-tipping in Essex
It's a crime not to care what happens to your waste! Find out how to ensure your rubbish is not fly-tipped in Essex, and how to report fly-tipping incidents.
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We all hate fly-tipping littering our roads and countryside in Essex. Unfortunately, illegal waste operators target everyone from householders to big businesses with offers of cheap waste disposal. If this waste is then fly-tipped or dumped illegally, it ends up costing all of us to clean up the mess. If your waste is found fly-tipped, you could be held responsible. You could be contributing to fly-tipping without even knowing it!
Who is responsible for fly-tipping in Essex?
It’s easy to find someone to collect your rubbish in Essex. This waste could be black bag waste to a mattress, sofa or building waste. But did you know that if your waste is found fly-tipped, even if someone else has dumped the items, you could be responsible for the crime? This could land you with a criminal record and an unlimited fine - it’s a crime not to care!
To reduce the risk of this happening, we suggest you avoid leaving items out for others to take. If a rogue trader takes these items, they may remove the parts they want and illegally dump the rest. Instead, you can donate good quality items to your local furniture project or charity shop. You could also give items away to someone in your local community for free, using Freegle.
Protect against rogue trader’s fly-tipping your waste
If you cannot get rid of your own rubbish, either through your kerbside collection, at a recycling centre or using a skip hire company, you may choose to use a waste operator or a ‘man-in-a-van’ type trader.
There are some easy checks you can make to ensure you’ve carried out your duty of care and that your waste does not end up being fly-tipped. If you carry out these steps you will be ensuring your rubbish will not be fly-tipped.
Check their waste carriers' licence
Ask for a receipt
Ask for a transfer notice or receipt before your waste is taken away by the trader. This means you can prove who collected and got rid of your rubbish. Keep hold of this for your records.
Check where your waste is going
Find out where the trader is planning to dispose of your waste. If you are paying for someone to dispose of your waste, this is classed as business waste and cannot be taken to a council recycling centre. Registered waste carriers’ can legally remove your rubbish, but you still need to check what is going to happen to your waste. Ask for paperwork that shows where they will be taking your rubbish.
How to report fly-tipping
If you come across fly-tipped waste, please report it to the local authority where the rubbish has been fly-tipped: