What is flytipping?
Flytipping is the illegal dumping of items. If your waste is flytipped, by you or by someone else on your behalf, you could face a £600 fixed penalty notice or an unlimited fine.
You are flytipping if you leave items:
- beside street bins and recycling banks
- on the floor of communal bin areas
- outside closed recycling centres and charity shops
- anywhere that isn’t a registered waste facility or container
Your waste, your responsibility
You have a legal Duty of Care to ensure your household waste is disposed of correctly. You can be prosecuted even if your waste is flytipped by someone else on your behalf. If it is your waste then it is your responsibility. Always use a registered waste carrier to collect your waste. You can find a registered waste carrier in your area on the Environment Agency’s website.
Hiring someone to collect your waste?
Follow the S.C.R.A.P. code before you hire someone to remove your waste:
- Suspect all waste carriers. Don’t let them take your rubbish until they provide proof of registration. Note their vehicle’s registration plate.
- Check that a waste carrier is registered on the Environment Agency’s website.
- Refuse any unexpected offers to have your rubbish taken away.
- Ask how your rubbish will be disposed of – seek evidence of this.
- Paperwork must be obtained: a proper invoice, waste transfer note or receipt, including a description of the waste being removed and the waste carrier’s contact details.
For further information see the Recycle for Greater Manchester website.
How to report it
Report flytipping on council land
Report flytipping on Bolton at Home estates
Report an accumulation of waste on private land
- do not touch flytipped waste as it could be hazardous
- if possible, try to have a look at the waste and see what it consists of and how much there is
- note the exact location and whether it is near to, or in, water
- do not disturb the site as there may be evidence there that we can use to catch the culprits
If you see someone flytipping, make a note of the day, date and time you saw the incident try to include the registration number of the vehicle.
What happens next?
If we can, we will remove fly tips on the highway or on council owned land as part of the scheduled street cleaning programme.