Fly Tipping

Fly Tipping – what you need to know

Is a criminal activity that can seriously pollute watercourses and contaminates land

Can be a risk to human health and harm wildlife and livestock

Is unsightly, spoiling our communities and the quality of life for local residents

Is seen as a major problem by over three quarters of landowners and affects 67% of farmers

Undermines legitimate waste management companies who are undercut by illegal operators

Encourages others to dump more waste

How can I prevent my rubbish being fly-tipped by someone else?

The first line of defence against fly-tipping is ensuring that only people who will dispose of the waste responsibly are allowed to take your waste away. We all have a legal obligation, or Duty of Care, to ensure that all waste from our household or business is disposed of correctly. By taking necessary precautions, you can reduce the risk that rubbish from your home or business is dumped illegally.

What do I do if I find some fly-tipped waste?

If the rubbish is on public land, the district council is obliged to clear it up. You can report an incident to your local district council to investigate:

Telephone: 01394 383789

Email: customerservices@eastsuffolk.gov.uk

They will investigate all incidents of fly-tipping on public land, and whilst councils will not clear rubbish dumped on private land free of charge, they may investigate such incidents where appropriate.

To report bigger incidents of fly-tipping, please call the Environment Agency's 24 hour incident Hotline on 0800 80 70 60. This is a free number from any landline; some charges may apply if you are calling from a mobile. They investigate incidents with a greater potential to cause harm to human health and damage to the environment, such as the larger scale incidents of fly-tipping (generally those involving more than a lorry/tipper load of waste), incidents involving hazardous waste, and those involving organised gangs of fly-tippers.

Suffolk Coastal District Council