FOLLOWING a spate of fly tips in the region, West Devon Borough Council is encouraging residents and businesses to think carefully about how they dispose of household and builder’s waste. 

Fly tipping is a criminal activity which hugely impacts upon the environment and one which costs the council, and local landowners, a significant amount of money to clean up.  It is becoming more apparent that unscrupulous people are collecting waste from residents, who give it in good faith and then fly tip it.  This leaves the resident liable for prosecution if evidence of their belongings is found. 

Household waste, including DIY material and electrical goods such as fridges, accounts for half of all fly tipped rubbish.  West Devon Borough Council encourages householders to dispose of waste responsibly through reducing, reusing, recycling and composting waste, where possible.  

You can dispose of your waste in a number of ways: 

‘Normal’ household refuse and recycling should be placed out for collection by 7.30 a.m. on the morning of your collection. 

‘Bulky’ items and larger items of household waste can be disposed of in two ways:- 

Contact Refurnish which may be able to collect/receive the items free of charge and will put them to good use. It is located at Plymouth Road Industrial Estate, Tavistock, Devon PL19 9QN. Telephone: 01822 618822

Take these items to your closest household waste recycling centre. These are run by Devon County Council. For further information visit the DCC website https://new.devon.gov.uk/wasteandrecycling/centre or telephone 0345 1551010.

Arrange for a bulky household waste collection.  This service is operated by West Devon Borough Council and a small charge is made.  Please visit the council’s website for further details www.westdevon.gov.uk/ article/2471/Bulky-Waste-Collections 

Take glass bottles and jars to your closest recycling bank.  You can find recycling banks across West Devon.  A full list of sites is available on the council’s web site: www.westdevon.gov. uk/article/2475/Recycling-Centres 

Some residents call on contractors for removal of larger waste items.  If you choose this option, please follow these simple checks to make sure your waste is disposed of correctly and not fly tipped out of sight. 

Check that the contractor has a Waste Carrier’s Licence.  You can do this on the Environment Agency website environment. data.gov.uk/ public-register/view/ search-waste-carriers-brokers

Ask where they are going to take your waste

Pay on presentation of an invoice which shows the waste carrier’s licence number and details where your waste was disposed.

Ask for a receipt and keep it safe. 

Unfortunately, if a fly tip includes items tracked back to yourself, you may be liable for legal action being taken against you and you could be fined.  Make sure that doesn’t happen with these simple checks. 

West Devon Borough Council’s lead member for commercial services Cllr Robert Sampson said: ‘Fly tips are becoming increasingly common and we need to find a way to encourage residents and businesses to dispose of their waste responsibly.

‘We call on our West Devon residents to help us to stop fly tipping in our countryside and to report immediately anything you witness.  Do remember to leave any evidence untouched however, so our investigators can use this against the criminals.’