Fly-tipping clearance projects

Unwanted waste left in places it should never have been.

From dumped sofas and broken chairs to timber offcuts, bagged rubbish, packaging and general household items, fly-tipping comes in all shapes and sizes.

The photographs on this page show waste left on quiet roads, at rural gateways, beside fields and against boundary walls. Some incidents involve a fairly concentrated pile; others are spread across the ground, making assessment and collection more awkward.

Our team has been called upon to tackle incidents like these around Sheffield. Each site has its own challenges: roadside safety, vehicle access, the amount and type of waste, and whether the material contains anything that needs specialist handling.

More than an eyesore

Fly-tipping can obstruct access, threaten wildlife, affect local communities and leave someone else with the expense of arranging removal. If waste is dumped on private land, the landowner or occupier may need to arrange its clearance, depending on the circumstances. Where dumping occurs on public land, it should be reported to the appropriate council.

For unknown or suspicious waste, particularly containers with unidentified liquids, asbestos-like material, sharps or other hazards, the safest first step is an assessment. We will not claim that ordinary mixed-waste clearance covers every potentially hazardous material.

Why the cheapest waste collector could cost you much more.

When somebody offers to take away a van load of waste for a surprisingly low price, it is worth asking how the collection, transport and authorised disposal can be paid for. A cheap quote is not automatically suspicious, but a refusal to provide business details, proof of waste carrier registration or a proper receipt should be a warning sign.

If an unregistered collector takes your rubbish and dumps it down a country lane, your address or other identifying material may be discovered among the waste. Authorities can investigate whether you took reasonable steps to check that the collector was authorised.

You could face a fixed penalty or prosecution if you failed your duty of care. However, finding your rubbish in a fly-tipped pile is not, on its own, proof that you broke the law. Customers who made reasonable checks should be able to explain those checks and provide available supporting evidence.

How to protect yourself

• Ask the collector for the business name and waste carrier registration details.
• Check the registration on the Environment Agency's public register. For an ordinary private household collection, check for a valid upper-tier registration.
• Ask where the waste will be taken and whether the facility is authorised for the relevant material.
• Keep the company's invoice, receipt or collection record and the details of the vehicle if possible.
• Be wary of cash-only offers without clear company information or paperwork.

Responsible removal is about what happens after the waste leaves your property, not just how quickly somebody loads it.