Fly-tipping

Fly-tipping is the illegal dumping of waste. It can damage the environment and pose a danger to public health. You can find out how to report fly-tipping and what we will do here

Fly-tipping is an offence under the Environmental Protection Act 1990. Offenders can face an unlimited fine, a criminal record and a prison sentence.

What fly-tipping is

Fly-tipping is the illegal dumping of any waste, no matter how large or small, onto any land, or at any site that doesn't have a licence to accept the waste. 

Fly-tipping includes: 

• waste dumped on any public or private land, including public highways 
• giving your waste to someone else to fly-tip 
• leaving waste outside the tip or a community recycling bank
• leaving waste next to public litter bins.

Only people with a waste management licence can recover, transport, deposit or dispose of waste.

Report fly-tipping

If you see waste that has been fly-tipped, or you think you have seen someone fly-tipping, report it to us using the online form below.

Report fly-tipping

Alternatively, you can report it to us by calling Customer Services on 023 8028 5000 or by email to customer.services@nfdc.gov.uk.

You can also report issues with public litter bins  and street cleaning.

If you see someone fly-tipping 

Do not put yourself in danger by approaching the individuals who are fly-tipping. 

Report it to us providing as much information as possible, including:

• description of the people
• vehicle details, such as make, model, colour and registration number
• the waste that was being fly-tipped
• the day and time the incident happened
• the location of the fly-tipping, such as street name, area and postcode.

What we do about fly-tipping

We take incidents of fly-tipping seriously. We aim to reduce fly-tipping through increased prosecutions, improved reporting and education.

If fly-tipping on council-owned land is reported to us, we will remove it. We will investigate all fly-tipping incidents for evidence to help us find the person responsible, so we can prosecute them.

If a fly-tip is on private land, it is the landowner or occupier's responsibility to arrange for it to be removed.

Persistent Organic Pollutants in fly-tipped upholstered domestic furniture (POPs)

To comply with requirements we may need to separate out the following items for waste stream processing purposes:

• Sofas
• Armchairs
• Futons
• Sofa-beds
• Upholstered dining chairs and office chairs
• Beanbags
• Floor cushions

This may require more than one visit to clear a flytip.

The Control of Waste (Dealing with Seized Property)(England and Wales) Regulations 2015 

We publish notices under The Control of Waste (Dealing with Seized Property)(England and Wales) Regulations 2015 below:

Notice of seizure of property (PDF) [120KB]

Notice of seizure of property notice (PDF) [120KB]

How to prevent fly-tipping

You are responsible for ensuring that rubbish is disposed of safely and legally once it leaves your home.

There are several ways that you can dispose of your waste correctly.

• Check if you can dispose of the waste in your black rubbish sack, clear recycling sack or glass collection box.
• Check whether you can take your waste to the tip. It is free for householders to dispose of most types of household waste at the tip.
• For larger items such as furniture, or if you are unable to go to the tip, we offer a bulky waste collection service for a small fee. 

If you use a private company to remove waste from your property, ask the company what they will do with your waste and if they are a licensed waste carrier. Make a note of their waste carrier's licence number and check it on the Environment Agency's register of licensed waste carriers.

If your waste ends up fly-tipped by a third party, and you are unable to show that you took reasonable steps to prevent it, you could face an unlimited fine or up to five years in prison.

Business waste 

Every business, no matter how large or small, has a duty of care to ensure their waste is collected, treated and disposed of by a licensed waste carrier. Business Rates do not cover the removal of business waste.

The council offer a business waste collection service, or you can use a private licensed waste carrier to collect your waste.