Almost four tonnes of rubbish – including a cooked turkey – was fly-tipped over the festive season in Carlisle last year, it has been revealed.
Carlisle City Council is now urging residents not to be rubbish this Christmas.
Rubbish included refuse bags, oversized cardboard boxes, and the turkey were dumped at recycling sites at supermarkets and other locations across the city.
This year, extra patrols will be monitoring the sites and CCTV is likely to be in operation in a bid to stop fly-tipping.
The city council is warning people that excess dumping of rubbish at recycling sites is still fly-tipping.
Fly-tipping is a criminal offence and punishable by an unlimited fine and up to five years imprisonment if convicted in court. An on-the-spot fine of up of £400 can also be issued.
Excess waste can be disposed of at the district’s household waste recycling centres:
- Household Waste Recycling Centre, Bousteads Grassing, Rome Street, Carlisle Open: 8am to 6pm, seven days a week, except December 25 and 26 and January 1. It will close at 4pm on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve.
- Brampton Household Waste Recycling Centre, Townfoot Industrial Est, Brampton Open: 10am to 6pm, (every day except Tuesday), except December 25 and 26 and January 1. It will close at 4pm on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve.
A Carlisle City Council spokesman said: “Although we pick up recycling from our recycling sites on a more regular basis over the festive period – in some cases every day – the collection points can be extremely busy.
“We urge residents to be patient and not to dump their excess recycling or refuse.
“Even if they are recyclable material if they are put next to recycling cages or bins, they are classed as fly-tipping and a fine could be issued.
“We’ll be increasing our patrols of the sites and CCTV may be operation.”
To find what can be recycled at Carlisle recycling sites, visit www.carlisle.gov.uk/residents/bins-and-recycling/recycling-sites
