Your waste remains your responsibility until it has been disposed of legally...
This is the important message the Hertfordshire Waste Partnership wants to remind residents of as it supports Keep Britain Tidy's Fight Fly Tipping Fortnight, starting on 12 October.
Failing to check where waste ends up can lead to it being fly tipped, with householders potentially facing enforcement action if they have not taken reasonable steps to ensure their waste was handled legally.
There were over 15,000 reported incidents of fly tipping in Hertfordshire between April 2024 and March 2025. Fly tipping is an environmental and antisocial crime with real consequences – blighting communities, spoiling green spaces and public areas, and posing a threat to both wildlife and public health, with the taxpayer bearing the cost of removal and clean up.
Throughout the Fortnight, the HWP, made up of Hertfordshire County Council and the county’s ten district and borough councils, will be spotlighting examples of recent enforcement in the county, where illegally dumped waste was investigated and those responsible handed Fixed Penalty Notices or prosecuted. Over the Fortnight, electronic traffic signs above Hertfordshire’s highways network will also show a series of anti-fly tipping messages.
Between April 2024 to March 2025, Hertfordshire authorities issued 176 Fixed Penalty Notices for fly tipping and successfully prosecuted 9 cases.
Cllr Tim Williams, Chair of the HWP, said:
“We're seizing the opportunity to build awareness and combat the antisocial crime of fly tipping across this Fortnight. While we do see commercial and construction waste being illegally dumped in Hertfordshire, the most recent statistics show that 62% of fly tips contain household waste.”
Enforcement officers across Hertfordshire encounter waste crime at all levels of severity. They fear residents aren’t always aware that behaviours such as leaving household waste beside a public bin, outside a charity shop or next to a recycling bank are all forms of fly tipping and could incur a Fixed Penalty Notice of up to £5,000. These perceived low-level behaviours degrade the appearance of our streets, neighbourhoods and public spaces, encourage copy-cat tipping, and represent significant clean-up costs for local authorities.
Cllr Williams warns householders can also be exposed to fines and prosecution when they use rogue traders and illegitimate waste carriers:
“Most residents would never knowingly support waste crime, but many are unaware that they remain legally responsible for their waste even after it leaves their property. When you hand over your waste to a carrier or trader, you are also liable if that waste is fly tipped.”
Whether disposing of unwanted furniture, garden waste, DIY materials or household rubbish, residents should always use legal disposal routes such as their local Recycling Centre, council bulky waste collection services, charity reuse schemes, or a registered waste carrier.
The Hertfordshire Fly Tipping Group, part of the HWP, created and continue to champion the SCRAP principles, to help householders avoid falling victim to rogue waste carriers.
- S – suspect all offers to take away your waste. Rogue waste carriers frequently advertise themselves on social media and can appear legitimate. Don't let them take your rubbish until they provide proof of registration and make sure to note their vehicle's registration plate.
- C – check the waste carrier is registered on the Environment Agency register. They need an Upper Tier license to be allowed to legally transport other people’s waste.
- R – refuse any unexpected offers to have your rubbish taken away. If an offer sounds too good to be true, it probably is!
- A – ask how and where they will dispose of your rubbish and seek evidence of this. Legitimate waste carriers will be happy to provide.
- P – paperwork must be obtained: a proper invoice, waste transfer note or receipt, including a description of the waste being removed and the waste carrier’s contact details.
