Flytipping remains an issue in Suffolk as it does across the entire country, with more than four and a half thousand incidents reported last year alone. It costs hundreds of thousands of pounds to clear and this is paid for by Suffolk residents, as well as farmers and other landowners.
In response, Suffolk’s Flytipping Action Group (STAG) which includes the county, district and borough councils, the Environment Agency, Suffolk Constabulary, the Forestry Commission, the Broads Authority, the National Farmers’ Union (NFU) and the Country Land and Business Association (CLA), is promoting the #Scrapflytipping campaign.
Cllr. James Mallinder, Chair of the Suffolk Waste Partnership, said: “There is no excuse for flytipping and it will not be tolerated in Suffolk. It is an incredibly selfish act and a blight on our local environment, a source of pollution, a potential danger to public health and a hazard to wildlife.
“Part of the problem is caused when people allow their waste to be taken away by unlicensed waste carriers, so it is essential that the public make sure that only licensed waste carriers are used. This can be easily checked by asking to see their Waste Carrier Licence or by looking up the company, either on the Environment Agency website or by telephoning 03708 506 506.”
If illegally discarded, waste is traced back to the owner and if a licenced waste carrier hasn’t been used to dispose of the waste, then the owner will be fined. Even if it wasn’t the owner who carried out the act of flytipping.
Members of the public and businesses are being urged to remember the SCRAP code to stop flytipping in Suffolk:
For more information about fly-tipping and legal ways to get rid of unwanted items, please see www.suffolkrecycling.org.uk/fly-tipping.
