While most householders in the UK dispose of their waste responsibly using local authority collection and recycling services, an irresponsible minority of people dump their rubbish illegally. According to recent statistics, fly-tipping – the illegal disposal of waste in fields and country lay-bys – is a problem that is worsening, with the cost to the taxpayer soaring into the millions:
• In 2020/21, English local authorities dealt with over 1.1 million fly-tipping incidents, an increase of 16 per cent on the previous year.
• 65 per cent of fly-tipping incidents involve household waste.
• Most fly-tipping takes places on public highways (43 per cent).
• Over 456,000 enforcement actions were carried out by local authorities, a decrease of 18,000 since 2019/20.
What Fly-Tipping Solutions Can Be Implemented?
Fly-tipping is a criminal offence, but it falls to local authorities to enforce action against perpetrators and ensure that robust evidence is gathered to secure a conviction in court. At Kingdom, we can provide effective LA support to help you to take proactive steps to reduce the extent of fly-tipping in your locality.
Install Mobile CCTV
Fly-tipping usually happens in secluded areas where offenders know there is little chance that they will be spotted. Because of this, it’s common for certain ‘hot spot’ locations to be targeted repeatedly, so the installation of mobile Artificial Intelligence (AI) enabled CCTV can help to bring perpetrators to justice by capturing vital information to identify them.
At Kingdom, our mobile AI CCTV cameras play a powerful role in responding to the problem of fly-tipping and provide local authorities with cost-effective solutions that can be deployed in any remote location, without the need for a mains power supply.
Deliver Education
Many fly-tippers dismiss the consequences of their actions, believing that it will simply cause a short-term inconvenience to the local authority who will be tasked with the responsibility of cleaning up after them. However, the chemicals released in fly-tipping can have a lasting impact on wildlife and local habitats, poisoning animals, and plants, while the damage can be widespread if toxins seep into underground watercourses.
Local authorities can educate people in schools and through campaigns, press releases, advertisements, and video presentations to highlight the damaging consequences of fly-tipping and encourage them to choose legitimate waste disposal options instead.
Encourage Participation
Tackling anti-social fly-tipping, should be a community initiative – after all, the illegal dumping of waste is an issue that affects the quality of life of many who live in the affected area. A zero-tolerance approach to the problem will deter offenders who are contemplating fly-tipping their waste, particularly if they suspect that they will be reported if caught in the act.
A local authority Facebook, Reddit, or Instagram page, on which residents can report incidences of fly-tipping and submit evidence to the local authority, is an effective tool that can assist in the identification and conviction of offenders. As would-be perpetrators become aware of the risks they are taking, they may be forced to reconsider.
Contact Us To Find Out More
To find out more about the support Kingdom offers local authorities in the fight against fly-tipping, please call us today on 0330 022 9422.
Image Source: Canva
