Nearly £400,000 that could have been invested in Colchester's communities was instead spent clearing fly-tipping last year.
As Colchester City Council joins Keep Britain Tidy's Fight Fly-tipping Fortnight campaign, residents are being asked to help protect local neighbourhoods, green spaces and countryside by taking a few simple steps before paying someone to remove their waste.
In the last year alone, the Council dealt with 3,891 fly-tipping incidents at an estimated cost of £391,045.50.
The money spent clearing illegally dumped waste could instead have been used to support services that directly benefit residents, including additional street cleansing, improvements to parks and open spaces, neighbourhood warden patrols, community safety initiatives, environmental education programmes and enhanced CCTV coverage in crime hotspots.
A problem that affects everyone
Fly-tipping can spoil places people care about, from neighbourhood streets and parks to rural lanes and open countryside. It can also create safety concerns for residents and wildlife, while placing an avoidable financial burden on local taxpayers.
Fly-tipping can spoil places people care about, from neighbourhood streets and parks to rural lanes and open countryside. It can also create safety concerns for residents and wildlife, while placing an avoidable financial burden on local taxpayers.
Many fly-tipping incidents begin when household waste is handed to unlicensed waste collectors. While these operators can appear legitimate through social media adverts, online marketplaces and seemingly positive reviews, some dump waste illegally rather than disposing of it responsibly.
Three simple checks before handing over your waste
As part of Fight Fly-tipping Fortnight, we're encouraging residents to protect themselves and their communities by taking three simple steps before handing over their rubbish:
As part of Fight Fly-tipping Fortnight, we're encouraging residents to protect themselves and their communities by taking three simple steps before handing over their rubbish:
- Ask to see a waste carrier licence
- Check the licence number on the Environment Agency's public register
- Ask for a receipt and keep a record of who collected the waste
Working together to tackle fly-tipping
Cllr Martin Goss, Portfolio Holder for Waste, Neighbourhoods and Leisure, said: "Every fly-tip removed comes at a cost. Last year, nearly £400,000 was spent clearing illegally dumped waste across Colchester. That's money that could have been invested in cleaner streets, improvements to parks and open spaces, community safety initiatives and other services that directly benefit residents.
Cllr Martin Goss, Portfolio Holder for Waste, Neighbourhoods and Leisure, said: "Every fly-tip removed comes at a cost. Last year, nearly £400,000 was spent clearing illegally dumped waste across Colchester. That's money that could have been invested in cleaner streets, improvements to parks and open spaces, community safety initiatives and other services that directly benefit residents.
"Nobody wants to see rubbish dumped in the places they live, walk, exercise or spend time with friends and family. Fly-tipping affects everyone's quality of life and damages the environment we all share.
"While the council will continue to investigate incidents and take action where offences are identified, preventing fly-tipping in the first place is something we can all help with.
"By carrying out a few simple checks before handing over your waste, you can help stop rubbish from ending up in our communities and protect the places that make Colchester a great place to live."
Get involved in Fight Fly-tipping Fortnight
Fight Fly-tipping Fortnight runs from 12 to 25 October and sees local authorities across the country working with Keep Britain Tidy to raise awareness of the impact of fly-tipping and help residents avoid rogue waste collectors.
Fight Fly-tipping Fortnight runs from 12 to 25 October and sees local authorities across the country working with Keep Britain Tidy to raise awareness of the impact of fly-tipping and help residents avoid rogue waste collectors.