Littering

Every year we spend almost a million pound clearing up street litter. People can now be fined £100 if spotted dropping litter. See our FAQ about fines we can now issue. Litter not only makes a place look untidy, but it can pose a number of hazards to people. There are plenty of litter bins across Tamworth - please use them or risk facing a fine.

What is fly-tipping?

It includes: General household waste, fridges, sofas, mattresses, garden waste, commercial and industrial waste. It costs the the taxpayer approximately £150,000 a year to clean up fly-tipping. Basically it is waste tipped on land which does not have a waste management licence.

Campaign against illicit waste

A county-wide campaign has been launched by representatives from all of the local councils, Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service, Staffordshire Police, the Environment Agency, the DVSA and Highways England to address the problem. Find out more from this 'Staffordshire Prepared' News Release. The Right Place website gives more information about correctly disposing of waste.

The law

It is a serious criminal offence. Anyone - including householders - can be prosecuted under the Environmental Protection Act 1990. The maximum penalty is £50,000 fine and/or twelve months imprisonment. However Crown Court prosecutions can lead to unlimited fines and/or imprisonment of up to five years. Dumped hazardous waste such as asbestos can lead to a prison sentence of up to five years. Fly-tipping from vehicles can see the owner of the vehicle prosecuted. The police have the powers to seize vehicles. Select this link for more information on Environmental Crime Enforcement Policy.

Where to dispose of your rubbish

You can dispose of extra waste at household recycling centres. If you are a householder, you can dispose of bulky items such as unwanted furniture, old cookers and fridges, carpets and scrap metal goods for a small charge.

If you see somebody you suspect of fly-tipping, please if possible make a note of:

• The day, date and time you saw the tipping.
• How many people were involved, what they looked like and what they were doing
  Any vehicles involved - if possible the make, colour and registration number
• What was tipped: How much and what it looked like

We will: Inspect the dumped materials, arrange for removal, collect evidence and interview any suspects.
If we collect sufficient evidence, we will prosecute the offender through the criminal courts.

Please do not confront the fly-tippers and put yourself at risk.

Report it

To report fly tipping call telephone: 01827 709709. You may be asked to make a written statement about what you saw. You can also report the details using the online Report It form.