People are warned to be careful if they respond to social media adverts offering to take rubbish away for a low price.
The Environment Agency, Allerdale council, Cumbria police and other partners are working together to tackle fly-tipping in the area and say rogue traders are using social media to con people – and their rubbish could end up being fly-tipped.
Facebook users who use unregistered waste carriers could become accidental criminals, the Environment Agency has warned.
Waste carriers are required to register.
If traders don’t have a waste carriers’ licence, there is no guarantee rubbish will go to an authorised legal site.
Instead, it could end up dumped on the side of the road or burned in a field, causing environmental damage. And the person who hired the unregistered trader could face a criminal charge.
John Neville, of the Environment Agency, said: “Rogue traders using social media to con people into parting with their waste are the new door steppers.
“People are then discovering their waste has turned up in a country lane or beside the road. These illegal waste carriers undermine legitimate businesses, undercut their prices and blight the environment.”
People are urged to take the following steps:
- Check if the collector has a waste carriers’ licence from the Environment Agency.
- Ask where the rubbish will end up.
- Don’t pay cash
- Insist on a receipt.
- Record the details of the vehicle used to take the rubbish away.
Councillor Jim Lister, Allerdale council’s executive member for environmental services, said: “Fly-tipping is one of the most common issues the council deals with on a day-to-day basis and we work hard not only to clear it up to keep our area looking its best, but also to take action against the perpetrators wherever possible.
“It’s great to work in partnership with other organisations such as the Environment Agency to tackle this problem in Allerdale.”
All householders have a duty of care to ensure their waste is disposed of legally. To prove you have passed your waste to a reputable licenced waste carrier you must be able to produce a waste transfer note.
Failing to meet the duty of care means that people could be held responsible if their waste is fly-tipped or otherwise illegally disposed of. If this happens and they have not met their duty of care, they could be fined up to £300.
Before hiring someone to remove waste, householders should check their credentials online at https://environment.data.gov.uk/public-register/view/search-waste-carriers-brokers.
People can report suspected criminal activity on the Environment Agency hotline 0800 807060 or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.
