Fly-tipping and illegal waste​

Report a fly-tip

Alternatively to report a fly-tip, you can call us on 01353 665555.

Fly-tipping is a crime which ranges from dumping waste in remote areas to leaving bin bags in the street outside the boundary of your premises. It includes general household waste, large domestic items, for example, fridges and furniture; commercial waste, for example, builders’ rubble and tyres or garden refuse, earth and soil. 

What to do if you find or witness a fly-tip

If you find or witness a fly-tip, please:

• do not touch the waste - it may cause injury or be a hazardous material  
• do not disturb the site, it is a potential crime scene - there may be evidence that could help to identify the fly-tippers and lead to a prosecution  
• do not approach anyone you see fly-tipping - protect yourself first and foremost  

To help us investigate the fly-tip it is helpful to know:  

• the date, time and place where you saw the fly-tip  
• a description of what has been tipped, and how much there is  
• any vehicle registration or description, if known
• a description of the person/people involved, if witnessed
• if you have a photo or a video of the event taking place  
• your contact details in case our officers have trouble locating the tip
• whether or not you would be willing to provide a statement for a prosecution  
• if you know of any other witnesses  

Any information you give us will be used and stored in accordance with principles found in the General Data Protection Regulations.   

Waste removal from household property

Householders are responsible for making sure any waste taken from a property goes to a licensed waste facility, such as a household waste recycling centre.  

Failure to do so may result in you being held liable for an offence under the waste duty of care code of practice and receiving up to a £600 Fixed Penalty Notice.  

If you need advice on how to dispose of waste, please see how our bulky waste collection page.

If you employ a person to remove your waste, you must check that the person or company has a waste carriage licence.  You can check to see if the individual or company you wish to use is a registered waste carriage licence holder on the government’s website. 

For more information, see the Duty of Care Code of Practice.

Process for dealing with fly-tips

Fly-tips in town centres or shopping streets

Abandoned shopping trolleys are not fly-tipping. Please contact the shop where the trolley has originally come from to ask for its removal or contact:

• Trolleywise if the trolley is from Aldi, B&Q, Dunelm, Homebase, Iceland, Lidl, Marks & Spencer, Sainsbury’s or Tesco
• use the Collex Trolley app if the trolley is from Asda

If you would like to report a shopping trolley as fly-tipping, please contact the shop where the trolley has originally come from. The shop will then arrange collection of the shopping trolley.

Fly-tips on or beside the highway

If you have discovered a fly-tip that has been left on a road, please contact the police so that the hazard can be made safe and arrangements for removal can take place. If the fly-tip is on the carriageway or at risk of being on the carriageway call 999 if it is an emergency, or 101 for non-emergencies.

Fly-tips on private land  

If you have a fly-tip on your land please notify us. 

Report a fly-tip

Alternatively to report a fly-tip, you can call us on 01353 665555.

The fly-tip will be investigated and prosecuted at the discretion of the council.  See our role in managing fly-tipping below. Clearing a fly-tip from private land is the responsibility of the landowner.  

If you are responsible for land, or are a private landowner, you must ensure that your land is as secure as is practically possible. 

Business waste  

Waste produced because of business activity is classed as controlled waste. Businesses are legally responsible for making sure controlled wase is disposed of correctly.  You must also be able to provide a valid waste transfer note when required. Failure to do so could result in a Fixed Penalty Notice (FPN) of £300 or prosecution.

Find out more on our business waste pages.

If you dispose of your own waste, you must be registered as a waste carrier with the Environment Agency and complete transfer notes for the waste that you dispose of.  

For more information on business and commercial waste visit Managing Your Waste An Overview on the government’s website.  

Guidance for waste carriers  

As a waste carrier, you have the responsibility to complete a waste transfer note for the waste that you handle.  You may be required to produce this documentation to an officer of the local authority and failure to do so within seven days is an offence which can result in a £300 Fixed Penalty Notice (FPN).

For more information on registering as a waste carrier and licence renewal visit Environment Waste Management website.

Council’s role in managing fly-tipping

Fly-tipping is covered by the Environmental Protection Act 1990 and the Clean Neighbourhoods Act 2005. It is the council's policy to seek to prosecute each offence of fly-tipping reported to us, where evidence can be found, which could result in a Fixed Penalty Notice of up to £1000 for smaller scale fly-tips, or an unlimited FPN and/or six months imprisonment for larger offences.

For more information on the council's fight against Environmental Crime, please see our Environmental Crime Enforcement Policy.

Fly-tipping incidents in East Cambridgeshire

Let's SCRAP fly-tipping

For further information on the proactive campaign to tackle environmental crime, please see the Let’s SCRAP fly-tipping campaign on the RECAP website.