Fly-tipping is the illegal dumping of rubbish or bulky items on land not licensed to receive it. Fly-tipping can cause serious pollution issues with the surrounding environment, and is potentially dangerous to human health and wildlife, especially when hazardous waste is involved. Fly-tipping in Cornwall costs Cornwall Council a significant amount of money to clear, and as a result these costs are passed on to tax payers over the course of time. In the South West alone in 2016/17, there were 44, 745 incidents of fly-tipping reported, which cost a staggering £2,704,450 (Source: ENV24 – Fly tipping incidents and actions taken in England)
People that choose to fly-tip can incur fines of up to £20,000 and potentially a prison sentence of up to six months. Cases that go to Crown Court can incur unlimited fines and prison sentences can reach lengths of up to two years. There are heftier prison sentences for dumping hazardous waste, which can reach up to five years. Vehicles involved in fly tipping can also be seized.
Fly tipping at Liberty Zawn Pendeen, summer 2015 Credit: Friends of Portheras Cove Community Conservation Group
Here at The Green Clearance Company, we offer house clearances in Cornwall as well as business clearances and offer a transparent service. We have a current waste carriers licence, and are fully insured up to £5million. We have an online presence with our company website, including customer testimonials and a Facebook page. We offer free, no obligation quotes and endeavour to provide an accurate, reasonable written quote regardless of whether you have a full house clearance, a part house clearance or a simple bulky waste or rubbish removal in Cornwall. We can also provide invoices. We aim to reuse, rehome and recycle everything we collect. If there are some items that we can’t reuse, we dispose of them safely in local authority waste disposal site. We always aim to reduce the amount of landfill. Contact us on 01209 861444 to book your free, no obligation quotation.
Using an unlicensed house clearance company or waste disposal company can also result in fines of up to £5000 along with prison sentences, as you are responsible for the safe disposal of your own waste and therefore liable if it is illegally dumped. It is your responsibility to check their credentials and ensure that you are satisfied that they are responsibly disposing of your waste. A genuine, responsible house clearance company will be able to provide you with their waste carriers licence number, which is issued by the Environment Agency and shows that they are registered and dispose of waste legally and responsibly. Cheap house clearances are often carried out by rogue clearance companies, and you will often find they have no online presence that you can checkout first.
If you see someone fly-tipping, make a note of when and where, how many people were involved and what they look like, what has been tipped, including how much and what it looks like, and details of any vehicles involved (make, model, colour, registration). If you live in Cornwall, you can report fly-tipping online to Cornwall Council here.

 

What are the most commonly fly-tipped items?
  • Vehicle components – vehicle parts, tires, engine oil and petrol
  • Hazardous waste – asbestos, paint, chemicals
  • Builders’ waste – bricks, rubble, bathroom suites, kitchen units, plasterboard
  • Trade waste – paperwork, industrial waste
  • White goods – fridges, freezers, dishwashers, washing machines
  • Household furniture waste – mattresses, sofas, tables, beds
  • Garden waste – grass cuttings, shrubs, tree branches
  • Small electrical items – Televisions, hoovers, lamps
  • Food and drink – tin cans, pizza, bread, alcohol cans and bottles

 

Fly-tipping in the news, Cornwall and Devon
Man received 200 hours of community service and a £4000 fine for fly-tipping
Lostwithiel fly-tipper fined £300 and ordered to pay costs of £302
Cornish man ordered to pay costs of £1074 after flytipping in St Dennis
Serial fly-tipper receives prison sentence for dumping waste at 18 sites across the South West
Criminal behaviour order for fly-tipper, £2000 costs and 150 hours of community service