'Marginal increase' in rubbish dumped on road sides since Covid-19 shut recycling centres

The Council has reported a marginal increase in rubbish dumped on road sides, since recycling centres closed and is reminding residents that dumping waste illegally is a criminal offence which can carry a fine and possible prosecution.

Chair of the Council’s Environment Committee, Wilbert Buchanan is urging local people to behave responsibly: “While I appreciate that recycling centres are closed and bulky collections suspended, I must stress to residents that this does not give them the green light to dump their waste illegally at our roadsides and at our local beauty spots.

“I am appealing to residents to be responsible and to co-operate with the Council fully and continue to be patient as Council workers do their best to deliver essential services during these unprecedented and exceptional times. This means holding on to any bulky items a little longer and perhaps reducing the amount of waste we produce in the first instance by not over shopping, stockpiling or panic buying.

“Any incidents of fly tipping, as well as making our district look unsightly and unpleasant, require considerable time to be spent clearing it up which is valuable time that could have been spent ensuring the delivery of our essential services on the front line like bin collections and burials.

“Please do not dump waste illegally, not only are you wasting valuable Council time if you do, but you could also be fined, or worse, face prosecution. I would also encourage anyone who witnesses fly tipping to report it to the Council.”

You can report incidents of fly tipping through the Council’s Binovation App. Download the app free of charge from the App or Play store onto your smart phone or tablet.