Householders in West Wales urged not to fall foul of new regulations by checking who is taking their waste

Householders can now be fined £300 if they fail to make checks about where their household waste going

Fly-tipping Action Wales is urging householders in West Wales to get rid of their unwanted household items and rubbish responsibly, in a bid to tackle fly-tipping.

With more than two-thirds of fly-tipping incidents in Wales containing waste from people’s homes*, a national public awareness campaign is being launched today (10 May 2019), by Fly-tipping Action Wales. The ‘It’s Your Duty to Care’ campaign aims to inform householders in Wales about their legal duty to ensure that anybody they give their household waste to is a registered waste carrier.

If householders don’t make the appropriate checks, they risk a £300 fine or even prosecution, if an enforcement officer finds they haven’t checked or if they haven’t exercised their household waste duty of care. Fly-tipping Action Wales also recommends that people ask for a receipt from the company used to remove the waste and to record details of the business and vehicle details (make, model, registration).

Figures from a recent survey** revealed that only 56% of people in Wales understand what Household Waste Duty of Care is when getting rid of household rubbish or unwanted items, with a further 30% of people noting fly-tipping to be a major or significant problem in their community.

Gary Evans, Programme Manager at Fly-tipping Action Wales, said: “The introduction of this £300 Fixed Penalty Notice is a crucial step towards helping reduce the number of fly-tipping incidents in Wales — specifically because such a large quantity comes from households. People across Wales need to understand that fly-tipping is a crime, and it is vital we all take the necessary steps to avoid illegal operators who undermine genuine waste service providers.”

Deputy Minister for Housing and Local Government Hannah Blythyn said: “Fly-tipping continues to be a major problem facing communities across Wales. We all have a responsibility to make sure our waste doesn’t end up in the wrong hands, and these Fixed Penalty Notices provide Local Authorities across Wales with an alternative tool to help tackle the problem. I believe it is important that people understand the damage fly-tipping does to the environment and ensure they always use registered waste carriers when disposing of household items.”

When arranging the removal of household waste, people in Wales are advised to check with Natural Resources Wales that the person or company they are using is registered by visiting naturalresources.wales/checkWaste or calling 03000 653000.

For more information on ways to dispose of your waste safely, legally and responsibly, please visit dutyofcare.wales.