Because we pay council tax, we receive the benefit of a regular, free rubbish collection service. Although this is perfect for our everyday waste, there will inevitably be times where our waste exceeds the capacity of our regular household bins and we need to find an alternative way to remove this waste. Despite there being many methods to do this, some, unfortunately, turn to the unethical option of fly-tipping instead. Here, we discuss the negative effects of fly-tipping.
What is fly-tipping?
The term fly tipping refers to the practice of illegally dumping your waste. Rather than taking the rubbish to the tip or hiring a skip or professional waste disposal company, some people dump their rubbish where they hope it cannot be traced back to them, or wherever they seem fit. This can sometimes be on the street, in neighbour’s gardens, or in the countryside.
Not only is this behaviour rude and unsightly, but the effects can also be long term and disastrous.
The negative effects of fly-tipping
• Some people believe fly-tipping is the only answer as it's free. However, this isn't technically true. Although the fly-tipper doesn’t directly pay anything to get rid of the rubbish, someone has to pay for it. The local authorities and councils are those that end up footing the bill. To raise the required funds, this could end up in an increase in council tax. Not only is this frustrating for the majority of people who dispose of their rubbish legally, but it also puts unnecessary financial pressure on local authorities and means that the designated funds do not go towards other projects that can benefit the community.
• Fly-tipping makes areas look unsightly and this can have a huge impact on the surrounding area. In some cases, it has been shown to devalue the price of houses surrounding the fly-tipping hotspots.
• It is illegal and therefore if anyone is actively caught doing it they can end up with a fine or even a prison sentence.
• It impacts wildlife, especially as a lot of fly-tipping occurs in the countryside. It is common for wildlife to be severely impacted by fly-tipping. Household waste can contain many toxic ingredients and harmful plastics that can be fatal to wildlife if ingested.
• These toxic ingredients can also harm people, especially children if they accidentally ingest something.
• The health impact can become widespread as well, which some people do not take into consideration. Toxic substances can sink into the earth which can stop plants growing in the nearby area and also impact nearby creatures and ecosystems.
• If the waste disposed of through fly-tipping is general household rubbish such as rotting food, this over time can attract rats, flies and other undesirable creatures that the local neighbourhood will not like having close to their homes
Fly-tipping is a criminal act that affects many people. With so many easy waste disposal options nowadays, there is no reason fly-tipping should still be happening at the rate it is. Although it is only the minority of people that turn to fly-tipping as a viable option, people must understand the true damage fly-tipping can cause - both environmentally and financially. If you ever have waste to get rid of that is bulky then invest in hiring a skip. There are many sizes available to meet your needs and you do not even need to have space to store the skip. If you have nowhere for the skip to go, there are wait and load services as well to get around this. Alternatively, there are waste management companies that can come and pick up specific items you are struggling to dispose of.
The negative effects of fly-tipping
What impact does fly tipping and litter have on local wildlife?
As demonstrated in this blog from Countryfile Magazine, some of the nation’s greatest national parks including the Peak District, Dartmoor, Yorkshire Dales and Snowden have all been severely blighted by the dumping of unwanted waste. Incidents of fly-tipping among our national parks, nature parks, woodland areas and waterways is becoming increasingly common and it is having a devastating effect on wildlife.
Animals who use these areas as their homes can suffer direct health problems because of anti-social fly tipping. Take marine litter for example. Marine litter effects as many as 1 million birds and 100,000 marine mammals every year as they become entangled in litter or ingest it.
On land, animals can often become trapped in ropes, nets or plastic containers. They can injure themselves on sharp objects or find their food sources contaminated by hazardous chemicals or liquids. What’s more, money that could have been spent on improving and protecting wildlife reserves is often diverted towards the clean up of waste, or volunteers who donate their time end up collecting litter rather than spending their time on conservation efforts, restoring and improving wildlife habitats.
The legal side of fly-tipping
Fly-tipping is entirely against the law and poses a dangerous threat to both people and wildlife. If you see anyone disposing of waste in an illegal way then you should report their activity to the police and your local authority. Make a note of the amount of waste, the type of waste, how many people were there, and details of any vehicles used to transport it.
Here at LSPS recycling is of great importance to us and we help businesses and individuals across Leicestershire to reduce the amount of their waste that ends up at landfill sites. Our Waste Transfer Station is open to traders and has an extensive range of state of the art equipment.
To find out how about we can help with your waste disposal needs please contact us on 0800 083 7807, or visit our website for further information.
