A new Cardiff Council campaign has been launched reminding residents that they are responsible for disposing of their waste correctly, and could face steep fines if waste is fly-tipped by unregistered waste carriers.

The Beware the Waste Cowboys campaign was launched outside Cardiff’s City Hall where four tonnes of fly-tipped waste appeared on Thursday, August 8, sparking a wave of social media enquiries wondering where the waste came from and how it could have been allowed to get dumped in front of one of Cardiff’s most famous buildings.

It was later revealed that the rubbish was placed by Cardiff Council to highlight the four tonnes of fly-tipped waste the council’s teams have to pick up off the city’s streets and lanes every day.

Did you see the fly tip mountain outside City Hall? This is a typical amount we collect in #Cardiff in just ONE DAY. It cost the council £150,000 to clear up the mess last year. Find out how to dispose of your waste responsibly: https://t.co/1oSg15bOKQ #WasteCowboys pic.twitter.com/lcHKHaw0A7

— Cardiff Council (@cardiffcouncil) August 8, 2019

Cllr Michael Michael, Cabinet Member for Clean Streets, Recycling and Environment said: “We are currently collecting 20 tonnes of fly-tipped material across the city per week – that’s the size of three Tyrannosaurus Rex – and it is costing the tax payer £150,000 a year in clean up services.

“In all honesty there is no excuse for fly-tipping. Cardiff Council offers a wide range of services to help residents and businesses dispose of their waste correctly, including two large recycling centres, bulky waste collections, garden waste recycling, glass recycling, food waste recycling, green bag recycling, hygiene collections and skip hire.

“Residents need to know that disposal of one tonne of waste at a landfill site, or at an energy from waste facility, costs approximately £80 per tonne. So, if someone offers to collect waste from your home for less, then alarm bells should ring. If it sounds too good to be true, trust me it is, which means your waste is probably going to be dumped on Cardiff’s streets by dodgy traders.

“What residents also need to know is they have a duty of care to ensure their waste is disposed of correctly. If we find any evidence among fly-tipped material which leads back to a resident, then unfortunately they face being fined £300 for it. If we locate the trader that dumped it then they could be fined £400.

“This is why it’s really important residents ask the people who are offering to dispose of their waste if they have a waste carrier’s license from Natural Resources Wales. If someone is collecting waste from your home, ask for their licence and a waste transfer note.

“The waste transfer note should give details on where the waste is being taken from and which licensed disposal facility the waste is being brought to. If the person collecting the waste refuses to provide this information, then do not use their services. Otherwise if the waste is found fly tipped and is traced back to your home, you could be prosecuted.”

The Council has issued 171 fixed penalty notices since November last year for fly-tipping offences and is promising to crackdown on those responsible.

Cardiff Council advises:

Always check for a waste carrier licence – you can do this by contacting Natural Resources Wales on 0300 065 3000 or email [email protected]
Always take down the company’s name and contact details;
Always ask where the waste is being taken to;
Always get receipts confirming what has been taken and where it has been taken to;

Cardiff Council also offers up this advice for residents wishing to report fly-tipping:

“If residents witness and fly-tipping happening, do not approach the person(s) offending, but take details of the time, location, description of the person offending and try to get their license plate number and report it to us via the Cardiff Gov App or through the ‘Report it’ function on the Cardiff Council website.

“If residents find any fly tipping which needs clearing we ask residents to “snap it, app it” – take a photo of the fly-tipped material and submit it to us on the Cardiff Gov App which has geo-tagging technology enabling our collection teams to pinpoint exactly where the fly-tipping has occurred.”