Flytipping campaign encourages responsible waste disposal

Homeowners in Scotland are being reminded of their responsibility to dispose of unwanted items appropriately as part of a new campaign. 

Environmental charity Keep Scotland Beautiful’s Flytipping campaign is focused on giving householders clear, practical information about their responsibilities and the consequences of flytipping. 

Eighty-four per cent of people in Scotland agree that flytipping is a problem nationally, while the Scottish Government’s National Flytipping Baseline estimates that 26,000 tonnes of material are dumped across Scotland each year. 

The campaign tells homeowners to ensure they dispose of their waste correctly at a council household waste and recycling centre or use a registered waste service to remove waste from your home. If your waste is dumped and then traced back to you, you could be fined up to £500. 

Heather McLaughlin, Campaigns Manager at Keep Scotland Beautiful, said: “Flytipping is a serious crime. We understand that the majority of people who want to get rid of waste simply pay the best price for someone to remove the items - they don’t think about what happens to it and whether it ends up in the right place or just dumped. 

“But the bottom line is your waste is your responsibility; 38% of people don’t know it is your responsibility to check if the person you ask to remove your waste has a license. 

“We know how costly flytipping is to remove; it is not victimless, and we know how it makes people across the country feel as it ruins their communities. So next time you’re having a clear out or doing some renovation, dispose of your waste correctly yourself at a council recycling centre or ensure the person you’re paying to dispose of it has a license to do so.” 

This campaign is part of Keep Scotland Beautiful’s support of the Scottish Government’s National Litter and Flytipping Strategy. 

For more information on flytipping, including finding a reputable trader or reporting a crime, visit the Community Litter Hub: Preventing waste | Community Litter Hub