Fly-tipping not only has a significantly negative impact on the environment, public health and natural wildlife. Underhand operators are undercutting waste collection businesses who are working within the law at the expense of the local habitat, property owner and taxpayers forced to dispose of the waste responsibly.
The National Fly-Tipping Prevention Group estimates fly-tipping costs between £86m-£186 million every year to investigate and clear up. This cost falls on taxpayers and private landowners.
The most common volume of fly-tipping is the equivalent of a small van load – Biffa offers one-off waste collections for households and businesses for as little as £89 + VAT.
Unlike littering, which usually refers to small items of rubbish carelessly dropped on the floor in public areas, fly-tipping generally involves the disposal of larger items from a single bag of rubbish to large scale industrial volumes without a waste management licence. Both are illegal, and both carry fines and potential prosecution in court.
The Solar Centre ranked 52 UK cities out of 10, based on the number of reported fly-tipping incidents by local authorities and the population density. So, how does your city rank?
The worst fly-tipped city in the UK.
Despite becoming a World Heritage site in 1987, Bath is the most negatively affected city in the UK with one of the worst fly-tipping rates in the compared to population, scoring 0 out of 10 for fly-tipping on The Solar Centre’s report. Since June 2018 there have been over 2,500 incidences of fly-tipping reported for Bath and North East Somerset on Fix My Street with the majority of reports located in the city. Southampton, Peterborough and Sheffield follow closely behind, all of which rank worse than the London.
The least fly-tipped city in the UK
Northern Irish capital, Belfast came out on top with a perfect 10, leading the fly-tipping chart for the least reported incidences while Derry placed fourth. Scottish cities also fared well with Perth ranking second followed by Dundee (5th), Aberdeen (7th) and Inverness (8th). Those that ranked well for fly-tipping also scored positively for low volumes of litter, suggesting awareness around waste as well as access to rubbish bins and services are plentiful.
Read more about fly tipping and the effects on businesses as well as essential things to look for in a rubbish removal company to avoid your waste being illegally disposed of on the Biffa blog.
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