Government announces new crackdown on fly-tipping

Today the Government has announced plans to crack down on fly-tipping, stopping waste criminals and saving households money.

Some local authorities charge DIYers more than £10 an item to dispose of waste – which can lead to criminal activities like fly-tipping that blights our communities, harms the environment and costs £392 million a year.

That is why today the Government have announced a consultation on plans to close a loophole which has allowed councils to charge fees for DIY waste, including plasterboards, bricks and bath units – as well as new £450,00 grants for local authorities to trial innovative new projects to put a stop to fly-tipping.

This is part of a fresh move to crack down on fly-tipping, which has increased since the beginning of the pandemic.

The Government banned backdoor charges on local residents disposing of household rubbish at household waste centres in 2015 and since then guidance has made clear that this includes DIY household waste.

However, around a third of Local Authorities still charge for certain types of DIY waste, using rules designed for construction waste. The changes outlined in a technical consultation published today will change this rule and could save households up to £10 for an individual item – for example, a sheet of plasterboard.

Fly-tipping is a crime which blights communities, poses a risk to public health and the environment, and costs up to £392 million a year. Local authorities dealt with 1.13 million fly-tipping incidents in 2020/21, up by 16% from 2019/20.

These new plans and funding, alongside the introduction of digital waste tracking and requiring licenses for waste businesses, will save households money, stop criminals abusing the waste system and protect the countryside from illegal dumping.

As MP for Norwich North,  reducing crime is one of my priorities. To find out more about what action I am taking both in Norwich and Westminster for this work, please visit: https://www.chloesmith.org.uk/myplan/crime

For further information on this announcement, please visit: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-announces-new-crackdown-on-fly-tippin