Demand for fly-tipping action over latest stats
More than 1,000 incidents of fly-tipping were recorded by Renfrewshire Council last year.
New figures have been released following Freedom of Information requests to all local authorities by the Scottish Conservatives.
A total of 60,405 cases were recorded across Scotland in 2022, with the new statistics covering all but two of the country’s 32 council areas.
Renfrewshire accounted for 1,168 of the incidents.
A spokesperson for Renfrewshire Council said its staff are cracking down on fly-tipping following the creation of a team dedicated to catching culprits in the act.
The Express previously told how a special task force is using surveillance cameras across dumping hotspots in Renfrewshire in a bid to catch culprits in the act.
The new operation aims to clamp down on illegal dumping across the area, with cameras set up to record perpetrators ditching their rubbish illegally.
A council spokesman said: “Six officers are putting a focus on flytipping with the aim of identifying offenders, reducing the number of instances taking place and increasing the number of fines and reports to the Procurator Fiscal.”
“The team has already issued nine Fixed Penalty Notices, with four of these paid and five actively being progressed, while evidence is being gathered for one larger scale investigation and three private landowners have removed fly-tipping at the team’s request.”
Conservative MSP Murdo Fraser said the figures underline why new legislation is needed to stop the “growing scourge” flytipping has on communities.
He has submitted a Member’s Bill to improve laws on fly-tipping by ensuring there is better data collection, reporting mechanisms and increased sanctions.
Mr Fraser said: “It is clear from these alarming figures that robust, new fly-tipping legislation is urgently needed.
“That is why I’m delighted my Member’s Bill, which has overwhelming public backing, received the necessary crossparty support to enable me to bring it before Parliament.
“Fly-tipping creates huge environmental damage which blights the landscape.
“The destructive and criminal dumping of refuse and waste at unauthorised locations leaves landowners and public authorities with the substantial costs of cleaning up.
“Such incidents – often carried out by organised crime gangs – are clearly on the increase, so it’s important we get this law on the statute book as soon as possible.”
A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “We have set out bold plans to tackle this issue, including proposals to more than double the maximum fine for fly-tipping, and will be taking forward action through a National Litter and Fly-tipping Strategy and Circular Economy Bill this year.”