Festive fly-tipping is unacceptable
28th December 2007
Over the holiday season many Scots will have a bit of a clear out, especially those who have grabbed a bargain in the sales. This inevitably means households have a number of bulky items and bags of rubbish to get rid of.
The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) would like to take this opportunity to remind householders, and businesses, that they must dispose of their waste responsibly.
Colin Bayes, SEPA's Director of Environmental Protection and Improvement, said: "Illegal dumping is a blight on our lives. Everyone must take responsibility for their rubbish and, with so many other options available, there is absolutely no excuse for fly-tipping."
Waste disposal options to use include:
· Donate, not dump - unwanted items which are in a decent condition could be
just what someone else needs or wants. So don't bin them, give them away,
perhaps online through www.freecycle.org, or donated directly to your local
charity shop.
· Use council facilities - your local authority will offer an uplift service
for bulky items, and will have a civic amenity site, where you can take waste
for free disposal.
· Private waste contractors - make sure you use legally licensed contractors.
Commercial waste carriers must have a SEPA licence. So, before employing them,
check your contractor is legal by using our online database at:
http://sepa.org.uk/regulation/rocas/index.htm or calling us anytime on 0800 80
70 60
Mr Bayes added, "Prevention is better than cure but if illegal dumping does occur then it must be reported for investigation. SEPA, and other enforcement authorities, cannot be everywhere at once, so we need people to be our eyes and ears and report sightings of illegal dumping via the Dumb Dumpers Stopline on 0845 2 30 40 90. This is open 24/7, every single day. Try to note and report useful details, like times, dates, vehicle registration, landmarks, if there is a local watercourse etc. However, your own safety is important, so please think of this at all times, and remember you can make a report to us in confidence."
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