Fly-tipping
Fly-tipping is the deliberate dumping of rubbish in a place where it should not be left. A fly-tip can be a single bag of rubbish, mattress or large amounts of builders’ rubble.
Fly-tipping is illegal and we'll take action against anyone we catch dumping rubbish.
We'll only clear up fly-tips on land that we are responsible for. We will always first try to gather evidence and catch the people responsible.
Beware of rogue waste collectors
In the borough there are rogue waste collectors who may come to your door and offer to remove any waste you might have for a fee. There are legitimate waste removal companies that can offer their services, however there are also individuals who will remove your waste for a fee and then fly-tip your waste. It is important to note that the Environmental Protection (Duty of Care) Regulations require all householders to make sure their waste is only removed from their premises by registered waste carriers, so you have a responsibility to make sure this doesn't happen.
If waste originating from your property is found to have been fly-tipped, you will need to provide details of who you gave it to, so that the matter can be taken up with that person directly. If you did not check that the person that you gave your waste to was authorised, and you can't provide this information when asked, then you may be fined £400, and if the fixed penalty remains unpaid you may be prosecuted and run the risk of a criminal record. So, it's really important that you take the correct steps to ensure you don't become a victim of rogue waste collectors.
The way you can protect yourself is:
- Ask for their waste carrier registration number and check their legitimacy online or call 0208 921 4605 to check they are licensed.
- Take a photo of your waste before they take it away in case you need it to confirm that the rogue collector was the one that took it.
- Ask where they dispose of their waste to show due diligence has been taken.
- In terms of payment, you should request a receipt or invoice. We recommend you don't pay cash - a legitimate waste carrier will be happy to accept card payments. Please do not transfer waste to someone who is not a registered waste carrier and cannot produce a Waste Carriers Licence on demand.
- Keep a note of all the information you receive from the waste collector or tradespeople.
- Do not be pressured into making a decision.
If you're in any doubt, before you make a decision, please contact our Enviro Crime team on 020 8921 5025 - we are here to help you. The team can be contacted Monday – Friday between the hours of 7am – 6pm and Saturday from 8am – 5pm. You could also report flytipping and matters concerning waste removal to us by email to envirocrime@royalgreenwich.gov.uk
Help us catch fly-tippers
If you witness a fly-tipping incident in progress, you can help by giving us details. Please email envirocrime@royalgreenwich.gov.uk with these details:
- the name and address of the individual(s) committing the offence if you know who it is
- a description of the individual(s)
- details of any vehicles involved including make, colour and registration if possible
- any company details (i.e. name of the site of a company van or vehicle)
- the time and where you saw them committing the offence.
What happens to people caught fly-tipping
We take action against people caught fly-tipping, including:
- seizing vehicles used to illegally dump rubbish or used by unregistered persons to transfer waste
- prosecution
- serving notices on owners or occupiers for untidy or overgrown gardens that cause nuisance
- serving statutory notices
- serving community protection notices.