Council tax payers and private landowners in England and Wales pay out over £100 million
a year to clear up fly-tipped rubbish. A lot is dumped by a small number of contractors, such as builders, electricians, house clearers and landscape gardeners.

New government rules say that householders must check that anyone removing waste from their property is authorised to do so. The Council is authorised. Failure to do this is an offence and householders could be fined up to £5,000 if any dumped rubbish is traced back to them. By placing the duty on householders, the government hopes that less rubbish will be dumped and council tax payers won’t have to pay the massive clean-up costs.

Points to remember:

• any business that removes rubbish from your home, from tree prunings to old beds and fridges, must be registered with the Environment Agency to remove waste
• if someone removes rubbish from your home, you should ask them for their waste carrier number
• if they can’t supply one, don’t use their services
• if they’ve already done the work, make a note of their vehicle registration number, because you could be prosecuted if they dump your rubbish illegally
• don’t take the rap for a dishonest trader – check their details.

You can check if the person or company is registered to carry waste by looking at the Environment Agency’s website, follow the link below,  or you can call 08708 506 506 and ask for a waste carrier validation check.

If you are a contractor who removes rubbish as part of your service and you are not currently registered, you should apply to the Environment Agency for registration immediately.

Date Published: 28/03/08