Litter and fly-tipping

Litter

District councils are normally responsible for the collection of litter on public land.

If you are undertaking a community/group litter picking event, we advise that you discuss your arrangements with the local district council who may be able to collect the litter you collect from a convenient place near the event’s location.

Fly-tipping

Fly-tipping is the illegal dumping of waste and is a criminal offence. Fly-tippers can be fined up to £50,000 in Magistrates’ Courts and face unlimited fines in higher courts, as well as community punishment orders or prison sentences of up to five years.

Your local district council has a responsibility to collect fly-tipping from public land. If you see any fly-tipped waste which looks like it may be on public land please report it to your local district council.

If you have any information concerning the identities of individuals responsible for fly-tipping, please contact the Environment Agency, who are responsible for enforcing the law regarding waste disposal.

Where waste is fly-tipped on private land it is the responsibility of the landowner to arrange its collection and disposal.

What to do if you see fly-tipping

If you witness fly-tipping taking place, useful information to record includes:

  • time and date of the incident
  • description of person(s) dumping waste
  • description of vehicle(s) involved, including registration numbers
  • description of the waste dumped
  • photographs, providing it is safe to obtain them.

Do not try to rummage through the waste yourself to look for evidence, as there may be hazardous or sharp items hidden among the waste. Council staff will carry out a thorough examination of the waste as part of their investigation.