You face an unlimited fine
if your rubbish is fly-tipped.
What is fly-tipping?
Fly-tipping is the illegal dumping of waste. It's a crime that damages the environment, risks public health and costs taxpayers to clean up.
Fly-tipping includes:
- dumping waste on land where there is no waste management licence, including public highways
- giving your waste to someone else to fly-tip
- leaving rubbish or waste outside household waste recycling centres
How do I avoid a fine?
It is your duty of care to dispose of your waste correctly. You could be fined an unlimited amount by your local council if your waste ends up fly-tipped, and you cannot show that you took reasonable steps to prevent it.
If convicted at court, the maximum fine is unlimited and you could face 5 years in prison.
You must use a licensed waste carrier, or take your waste to a registered site.
Check if your waste carrier is licensed
- Check their waste carrier licence number on the Environment Agency register
of waste carriers.
- Ask to see their waste carrier licence - it will look like this
- Ask what will happen to your waste - a licensed waste carrier should not object to reasonable questions.
- Make sure you get a waste transfer note and receipt for your waste and keep it as proof.
Take your waste to a registered site
There are 26 household waste recycling centres in Hampshire. They are open 7 days a week except Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year's Day.
Most waste is free to dispose of. There are charges for householders taking soil and rubble (£3 per standard rubble sack or item of sanitary ware), asbestos (£12 per sheet) and plasterboard (£10 per sheet / £6 per bag).
Collection of bulky waste by local councils:
Most councils will collect things like old sofas, fridges or washing machines for a fee.
Find out about your local council's bulky waste collection service here.
Did you know: ten facts about fly-tipping
1. Hampshire County Council pays for the disposal of fly-tipping and your local district or borough authority pays for its collection.
2. A study by Waste & Resources Action Programme (WRAP), published in 2021, concluded that there is no evidence that charging for DIY-type waste increases fly-tipping rates. Read the full report on WRAP webpages.
3. Local authority enforcement teams will look to take action against individuals responsible when there is evidence within a fly-tip.
4. Fly tipping should be reported to your local council. But if you are witnessing a fly-tip please report this to the Police on the 101 number.
5. Hampshire residents can access an HWRC for free on any day of the week including Sundays or Bank Holidays.
6. It doesn’t cost anything to deposit large items such as fridge freezers, mattresses or sofas at an HWRC.
7. You can now book more than one slot a week at your local HWRC to dispose of your household waste.
8. We only charge for the disposal of soil and rubble (construction/demolition waste), plasterboard and asbestos (subject to restrictions) at our waste and recycling centres (HWRC) - all other items are free.
9. The charges for disposal of soil and rubble (construction/demolition waste), plasterboard and asbestos (subject to restrictions) are in place due to their high cost of processing/recycling.
10. Local Authorities are not able to clear fly-tipping from private land - this is a Government decision. They can help seek compensation for the landowner when there is evidence.
Advice for businesses
Your business is legally responsible for its waste until you recycle or dispose of it. This includes all storage and handling costs. This responsibility is called your 'duty of care'. You must:
- keep waste to a minimum by doing everything you reasonably can to prevent, reuse, recycle or recover waste (in that order) – get help to do this
- ensure you sort and store waste safely and securely
- complete a waste transfer note for each load of waste that leaves your premises
- check that your waste carrier is registered to dispose of waste.
- not allow the waste carrier to dispose of your waste illegally (and report them to Crimestoppers if they do)
You have extra responsibilities if you're dealing with hazardous waste. You face an unlimited fine if your waste ends up fly-tipped and you cannot show that you took reasonable steps to prevent it.
Action on fly-tipping in Hampshire
The County Council is working in partnership with local city, borough, and district councils, and other organisations including:
Our aim is to reduce fly-tipping through increased prosecutions, improved reporting, and education.
A strategy and action plan. was approved in March 2017.