Think you’re recycling? Think again – dumping waste wrongly could risk flytipping offence
Dacorum Borough Council is reminding residents to make sure their waste is disposed of properly at recycling banks – or risk being fined.
The recycling banks located throughout the borough are designed to support home collections of waste, yet officers are highlighting the abuse of such services by people who are leaving their recycling on the ground and not dividing it between the relevent containers provided.
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According to the authority, this has resulted in the sites looking untidy and becoming a magnet for fly-tippers who are leaving other unwanted rubbish.
New signage erected at the recycling banks reinforce the message that the council has a zero tolerance approach towards fly-tipping and those who dump non-recyclable waste at the sites could be prosecuted or issued with a Fixed Penalty Notice of £75 for littering offences.
Nicholas Egerton, the authority’s team leader for environmental protection and housing, said: “It is worrying that some people are happy to just dump their waste instead of ensuring it gets put into the right container.
“When recycling and any other type of waste is left inappropriately, it can be classed as fly-tipping which is the illegal dumping of waste.”
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Regular patrols of the sites will now be taken up by the borough council’s enforcement officers, who promise to take action against offenders.
Portfolio holder for residents and regulatory services Neil Harden said: “We investigate thoroughly all cases of fly-tipping and will deal with offenders accordingly.
“We owe it to the majority of residents who dispose of their rubbish legitimately to tackle this environmental crime in any way we can. We have recently prosecuted fly tipping offenders and we hope the sentence imposed sends out a strong message to people illegally dumping waste.”
The news comes as Berkhamsted residents issued to complaints to the authority that bins belonging to a set of flats in Beech Drive had not been emptied, causing a stench and attracting vermin to the area.
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Sam Parrish, who lives in Holly Drive, backing on to the bins area, said: “It is quite disgusting and is attracting rats and foxes.
“The bins are overflowing with rubbish and it is unsightly.”
A spokesman for Dacorum Borough Council said: “The bins at Beech Drive are part of our Commercial Waste round and could not be collected as cars were blocking the access for the vehicle. The cars were parked across the pavement and the road.
“We apologise for the inconvenience but ask that residents remember to leave access for the refuse vehicle when parking along the road.”
The rubbish is due to be cleared today, including all the bags on the floor, and then the rubbish will be collected every Tuesday.