The f lytipping frenzy
How illegal dumping has doubled, with over 260 cases last month alone
FLYTIPPING has hit a record high, with incidents more than doubling since the pandemic hit Scotland.
Figures released by Zero Waste Scotland show the number of times rubbish has been dumped on the roadside and in the countryside rocketed between March and last month.
The organisation has run the Dumb Dumpers reporting programme for the past decade as a simpler way for the public to report flytipping.
The information is then passed to local authorities and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (Sepa) for collection.
Figures show a steady rise in the number of incidents being reported in recent years.
While the level of cases dropped to a low of 95 in the initial weeks of the Covid-19 social distancing measures, a slowdown in refuse collections by councils has resulted in a spike in incidents, hitting a high of 261 last month.
The figure is well above the rate recorded in April 2018 and in April last year.
But officials have warned the numbers are a fraction of the true figure, as many reported flytipping directly to their local authority and some incidents went unreported.
Iain Gulland, chief executive of Zero Waste Scotland, said: ‘Flytipping is illegal, it damages the environment and can present a hazard to the health of people. It is unacceptable and hugely frustrating that a small minority are taking advantage at a time when the majority are doing their best just to get by.’
Official data indicates reported cases of flytipping rose from 140 in March 2018 to 187 during the same month last year.
The number then fell over the same period this year, when police were first handed new powers to issue fines for those flouting lockdown rules. Incidents also increased each April, from 179 in 2018 to 186 last year, before hitting a high of 261 last month, a rise of 45 per cent for that month over the three years.
Mr Gulland added: ‘Those caught can receive fines of up to £40,000 and we would urge people to report any instance of flytipping to Dumb Dumpers. Local authorities are operating with fewer waste collection staff at present.
‘Please be wary of third parties who promise to dispose of your waste in exchange for a small fee. Always ask to see their Waste Carriers Registration and where they plan to take your waste.
‘I’d like to thank the waste collection staff who are going out and cleaning up flytipping.’
The release of the figures comes only two weeks after Sepa warned householders to avoid using rogue rubbish collectors, who are being blamed for a surge in flytipping.
It urged people not to be ‘tempted’ to hire unlicensed firms advertising on social media during the pandemic.
The cowboys charge families a fee for the collection of their rubbish before unloading it at isolated beauty spots around the country.
Instead, Sepa advises householders to stockpile their rubbish until council-run tips reopen.
Officials are urging families to store their waste ‘on their property’ for the next few weeks until it can be collected by local authorities or formally registered waste collection companies.