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t: 0800 169 8588

WE ARE OPEN

FOR BUSINESS

Coronavirus Safety Aware
NO physical contact with our drivers during visits
ALL communications and paperwork sent via telephone or email
NO paperwork to be signed
ALL staff are strictly following our Coronavirus Safety Policy

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Fly tipping: A modern day curse

Fly tipping is simply another term used to describe illegal dumping of all manner of waste material, it is also called fly dumping. Whatever term is used, it is the dumping of waste illegally instead of using an authorised method such as kerbside collection or using an authorised rubbish dump. It is the illegal deposit of any waste onto land, including waste dumped or tipped on a site with no licence to accept waste. Offenders include, local residents, construction and landscaping contractors, waste removers, scrap yard operators, and automobile and tire repair businesses. The man with a van rubbish removal service is a particular problem as many are not permitted to carry or legally dispose of waste commercially.

Plastics in fly tipping

More and more we are being told to use less plastic and many local authorities have banned the disposal of soft plastics such as bags in recycling bins. The result has been that many items of soft plastics have ended up being dumped illegally when they simply cannot be legally disposed of via the domestic collection.

Although soft plastics can often be disposed of in the general waste bin, large amounts such as the plastic that covers a new mattress for example, will fill an entire bin liner, preventing the other general waste from being disposed of. Sadly, the restrictions some local authorities are placing on home owners are causing a small minority of them to dump their soft plastics illegally.

Illegal dumping is typically distinguished from littering by the type and amount of material and or the manner in which it is discarded. An example of littering could be throwing a sweet wrapper on the ground. However, emptying a rubbish bin with no permission in a public or private area can be classified as illegal dumping.

The term fly tipping is derived from the verb tip, meaning to throw out of a vehicle, and on the fly, meaning on the wing. In short, to throw away waste carelessly or casually.

Types of materials dumped in Hertfordshire

Illegal dumping involves the unauthorized disposal of numerous types of waste. Typical materials dumped include building materials from construction sites, such as drywall, roofing shingles, lumber, brick and concrete. Other frequently dumped materials include vehicle parts, household appliances, household waste, furniture, yard scraps, and medical waste, the latter can present a genuine bio hazard.

Causes of illegal dumping in Hertfordshire

The actual reasons people illegally dump waste materials tend to vary; however, research indicates that lack of legal waste disposal options is a primary factor. A shortage of legal disposal options drives demand for waste removal service, increasing prices. Studies also have found unit pricing, which involves charging a set price per bag of waste thrown out, may contribute to illegal dumping. Although the intent of unit pricing is to encourage people to use other forms of waste disposal such as recycling and composting, people may turn to disposing of waste in unauthorized areas to save money. Additionally, weak enforcement of laws prohibiting illegal dumping and a lack of public awareness regarding the environmental, health, and economic dangers of illegal dumping contribute.

Local authorities introducing less frequent waste collections and dictating stricter controls on what they will accept from domestic collections has often been cited as a cause for the increase in this activity too.

A major problem has arisen where individuals offer a waste collection service to domestic property owners. It is vital to check for a valid waste carriers certificate as home owners will pay good money to have their waste collected and may be held liable if the waste can be identified and traced back to them if it is dumped illegaly.

The effects of illegal dumping or fly tipping in Hertfordshire

Effects of illegal dumping include health, environmental, and economic consequences. While legal waste disposal locations, such as landfill sites, are designed to contain waste and its byproducts from badly impacting the surrounding environment, illegal dumping areas do not typically incorporate the same safeguards. Due to this, illegal dumping may sometimes lead to pollution of the surrounding environment. Toxins or hazardous materials leaching soil and drinking water threaten the health of local residents. Additionally, illegal dump sites that catch fire pollute the air with toxic particles. Environmental pollution due to illegal dumping causes short term and long term health issues. Short term issues include asthma, congenital illnesses, stress and anxiety, headaches, dizziness and nausea, and eye and respiratory infections. Long term concerns include cancer and kidney, liver, respiratory, cardiovascular, brain, nervous, and lymphohematopoietic diseases. Beyond negative health outcomes due to pollution and toxic waste, illegal dumps pose a physical threat. Unstable piles of material and exposed nails threaten harm to humans, specifically children who may be attracted to illegal dumps as play areas.

Illegal dumps also attract rats, mice and insects. Tyres, a material frequently illegally disposed of as most areas ban their disposal in landfills, provide an ideal breeding ground for mosquitos due to stagnant water collected within the wheels. Mosquitos transfer life threatening diseases, such as encephalitis and West Nile virus, to humans.

Materials disposed of in illegal dumps, specifically tyres and electronic waste, are often very combustible. Outbreaks of fire at illegal dump sites can lead to woodland fires, causing erosion and destroying vital habitats to many native species of animals, fungi and plants.

Illegal dumping also negatively affects nearby property values. Unattractive and smelly piles of waste discourage commercial and residential developers from improving communities. Additionally, existing residents may lose interest in taking pride in their neighborhoods and before long, the entire area starts to look run down.

In addition to decreasing property values and, therefore, tax revenue for governments, illegal dumping costs governments millions of pounds in clean up bills. Here in the United Kingdom, the Environmental Protection Agency spends £100 to £150 million annually to investigate and clean up illegal dump sites.

How do we tackle illegal dumping in Hertfordshire

Efforts to combat illegal dumping vary in each situation as solutions are crafted with specific community dynamics in mind. However, common approaches include a combination of limiting access to illegal dumping sites, surveillance, enforcement, and increasing access to legal waste disposal opportunities.

Limit the fly tippers access

The majority of illegal dumpers carry out their waste disposal activity at night, as darkness helps them avoid detection. Installing lighting around known or potential illegal dumping sites deters the practice. Not all fly tipping happens at night though. A flat back tipper truck can shed its load in a country lane in a matter of seconds and be away before anyone has seen them. This is why the police will often stop and check the details of vehicles seen on a highway to be transporting large amounts of waste material.

Other methods of limiting access include re-landscaping and improving the appearance of illegal dump sites. Adding aesthetic amenities such as grass, flowers, and benches demonstrates that the site is well maintained, hopefully discouraging dumpers. Additionally, increasing community use of the area will adjust locals perception of the site from dumping ground to a valued open space.

Adding barriers such as fencing, rocks, locked gates, earth monds and concrete blocks prevents offenders from accessing dump sites with their vehicles, completely deterring illegal dumping or reducing the volume of disposed materials.

Increase surveillance and enforcement

Increasing the offenders risk of getting caught is also a way to combat illegal dumping. The most common way to accomplish this is through surveillance measures, such as video cameras. Camera footage can help the police and local authorities identify dumpers while also collecting data on peak dumping periods. Installation of fake cameras has also been shown to be a deterrent. Police patrols, and community surveillance are also options for increasing risk of detection. Police presence generally deters illegal activity, while community surveillance depends upon residents reporting known illegal dumpers to the police or council for a monetary reward.

Cities can implement periodic compliance campaigns, which involve randomly conducted crackdowns by police and environmental health officers from local authorities. Increased police patrols, anti dumping signage posted in known illegal disposal sites, random inspections of property, and publicity regarding convicted illegal dumpers and the use surveillance can deter illegal dumping.

Providing alternatives to fly tipping can also help

Removing the fly tippers reasons for disposing of waste illegally is also an option for local authorities. Offenders often dump waste this way to save money and time. Local authorities can offer free or subsidised waste services to residents to encourage legal waste disposal. If free and subsidised programs are not possible due to funding limitations, authorities must ensure affordability of waste disposal services. Offering alternate disposal options like recycling and compost centres is also recommended. Giving fines or assigning liability for clean up costs to those caught illegally disposing of waste can also act as a deterrent.

Combating illegal dumping also involves promoting legal waste disposal avenues. Offering Kerbside collection, skip hire and improving waste storage in high density residential areas provides residents with convenient waste disposal options. Communication of available services is important to the success of such programs. Offering similar accommodations for commercial and industrial waste generated by office buildings, restaurants, schools, and factories will also decrease instances of illegal fly tipping.

Local authorities can also combat illegal waste disposal by offering disposal options for materials and substances banned from landfill sites, such as tyres, toxic and hazardous waste, and medical waste.

Education about fly tipping in Hertfordshire

Local authorities can set up education campaigns to further reduce illegal dumping. They can inform residents and businesses of legal waste disposal avenues through mailed flyers, newspaper, TV and radio announcements, and posters. Posting signs near known illegal dumping sites can also help deter offenders.

Hoarding costs you money

Many hoarding behaviours can be put down to past experiences the individual has gone through. This may be periods of abject poverty, that makes them feel the need to hoard items just in case they could be used to good effect at a later stage. It is now thought that hoarding can adversely affect your finances. This may sound like a strange statement to make, but a bad financial situation is something we all want to avoid.

Time to have a good clearout

We've all been there. Our house has become a little cluttered and we feel the need to have a good tidy up. Many refer to it as a spring clean, but any time of year is a good time to de-clutter our living space. Having a good tidy up not only clears your house, it will help to clear your mind too. Research has shown that living in a cluttered environment can even have adverse effects on a person's sleep.

Fly tipping: what's the problem in Hitchin?

Illegal dumping is the proper name for fly tipping and it is typically distinguished from littering because of the type and amount of material left and the way in which it is disposed of. Fly tipping has always been a problem in Hitchin and indeed all over Hertfordshire.

The waste consequences of Covid

In an age where we are constantly looking for ways to cut down on our waste, it seems strange that so much extra waste has been created by the covid pandemic. The vast majority of this is made from plastic, so surely it could be recycled, but when one considers what it has been used for, it renders it potentially hazardous waste.

New Bill designed to ban export of plastic waste

When we throw away our waste materials, few of us know or possibly even wonder where this waste will end up. Many often believe that if it goes into the recycling bin, it will be recycled and therefore they will be doing their bit for the good of the environment. Unfortunately, a good deal of plastic waste often ends up in developing countries.

The problems with waste disposal in Hitchin

How many times have we looked at all the waste materials we have accumulated and despaired at the arduous prospect of sorting it into various types of waste to dispose of at the local tip? This once simple task has now become a major headache for many as the restrictions on what we can dispose of in landfill has increased so much in recent times.

Plastic pollution around the globe

Plastic pollution is now one of the biggest environmental concerns we have to face. You may feel that large amounts of plastic waste are unavoidable in the world we live in, but you and your family can help with the plastic pollution issue by being aware of its dangers and taking the necessary steps to reduce your plastic waste.

Carbon emissions and the environment

An awful lot has been said over the years about the damage we are doing to our environment with the carbon emissions and waste we produce. Some dispute the possibility that we are damaging our planet beyond repair, while others state quite clearly that we have very little time to change our ways and that time is running out.

How the five R's can dramatically improve our environment in Hitchin?

We have all heard of recycling our waste materials and for many years, some councils have provided special recycling bins to help residents avoid putting too much waste into landfill. But recycling is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to helping keep our environment healthy in Hitchin.

Recycle or incinerate! What is the best solution for our waste materials in Hitchin?

We are constantly being encouraged to recycle our waste materials and not putting them into landfill. However, there appears to be an emerging trend for incineration of waste in many areas, but is this a good or bad step?

Single use plastic products in Hitchin

Here at Hitchin Skip Hire we always recycle as much of your waste as possible, however, there is always more that can be done to improve the environment that we all need to survive.

A guide to what can and cannot go into a hired skip

At Hitchin Skip Hire we are frequently asked what waste materials can be placed into the hired skips we supply. So we thought it would be a good idea to offer a quick guide as to what is and is not acceptable.

Recycling your waste materials in Hitchin

Recycling is something most of us do now to some degree. Some do it more than others, but we mostly appreciate that it is an important part of our daily lives. It is more important to recycle waste in order to conserve resources and maintain a healthy environment than ever before. The question is, are we really doing everything possible when it comes to recycling our waste materials? The achances are that many of us are probably not doing all we can. So here are a few tips to help you recycle properly.

The problem with plastic pollution in Hertfordshire

Waste reduction in Hertfordshire

The country is now committed to reducing the amount of waste and the government have set targets for waste reduction. A new plan for cutting waste was published back in 2007 that aimed for at least 40 per cent of household waste to be recycled or composted by 2010, this rose to 50 per cent by 2020.

Plastic waste from the United Kingdom may be sent overseas instead of recycled

Massive amounts of packaging waste is being sent overseas to be recycled and turned into new products. However, concerns have been raised that in reality a good deal of it is being dumped in landfill sites in countries that we have no agreement with.

Just how recyclable is the plastic we use in Hitchin Skip Hire

We all know that plastic is recyclable, so as long as we put it in the correct bin it will be made into something else useful. Sadly this is a myth that all too many people believe, the painful truth is quite the opposite. We have all seen the triangular set of chasing arrows logo on plastic products and seem to automatically assume that it denotes that the product is recyclable.

What happens to all the plastic we throw out

Just where would we be without plastic? The production of plastic has exploded over the last fifty or so years, growing from 16.5 million tons in 1964 to 343 million tons in 2014; it is expected to double by 2036. The question is, where does all of this plastic go when people in Hertfordshire throw it away?

Recycled plastic for roads and pavements

Plastic use in road and pavement construction is not exactly a new concept, but it does appear to be increasing. Using plastic waste to make plastic roads is definitely on the upward trend. Plastic roads mainly use plastic carrier bags, disposable cups and PET bottles that are collected from landfill sites prior to burial and are a vital part of this construction material.

Seaweed sachets offer an alternative to plastic

Indonesia has a wealth of naturally growing seaweed that can make an edible, water permeable film that can be used in sachets that hold tea, coffee, and hot cocoa as well as a whole host of other useful daily consumable products.

The increasing problem of plastics in our oceans

The amount of plastic in the oceans of the world is predicted to treble in the next ten years unless affirmative action is taken to deal with the problem, according to a new report just published.

Plastic pollution in the ocean starts from the rivers

A scary statistic is that more than eight million tons of waste plastic ends up in the ocean every single year. If we continue to pollute our oceans at this rate, there will be more plastic than fish in the ocean by 2050 and it can take many years to break down if at all, not to mention the toxins it leaches in the process.

Ways to reduce your plastic waste

Plastic is a great product in so many ways, but the environmental impact it can have is enormous, particularly when it comes to the single use plastic products we seem to uses on a daily basis in our throw away society. Can we as private individuals do to cut down our personal plastic usage?

Plastic microbeads are a load of rubbish

Would you like to fill your mouth with plastic, or cover other parts of your anatomy with it on a regular basis? The answer would most likely be a resounding no, but we are already doing just that.

Waste plastic from the UK is polluting the globe

Literally thousands of tons of plastic scrap collected for recycling from British households have been transported and dumped on sites across the world. This shocking revelation was revealed from a recent freedom of information request.

Hiring a skip from Hitchin Skip Hire rather than using the local dump

Have you got a load of rubbish to dump? Is it better to hire a skip or use the local dump? Do you need a permit for having a skip? Can anyone apply for a permit? Here are a few answers which could help you when hiring a skip from Hitchin Skip Hire

Hire a skip from Hitchin Skip Hire for your garden waste

No matter what the season, a medium sized Hertfordshire garden can generate a massive amount of waste materials. The winter will leave a lot of dead leaves and twiggs from nearby trees to clear up, and when the warmer months hit, the waste is generated on a weekly basis as things grow rapidly.

Get a skip and avoid fly tipping in Hertfordshire

Not only does fly tipping blight the Hertfordshire countryside around us, it can have a devastating effect on the wildlife that we co-exist with. Then of course there is the eye watering cost of clearing up the mess that inconsiderate people have created. We all pay the price for this ecologically unsound practice through increased council tax bills from our councils. This could all be avoided if everyone disposed of their waste in the correct manner and hiring a skip is probably the best way to go about this, particularly if you have a large amount of waste to dispose of.

Some facts about waste and recycling from Hitchin Skip Hire

The United Kingdom produces over 100 million tonnes of waste every single year. If you consider that one tonne is about the weight of a small car, it is easy to see how it mounts up. In less than two hours, the waste we produce would fill the Albert Hall.

Hire a skip instead of going to your local Hertfordshire tip

Using a local Hertfordshire tip is not the same as it was a few years ago. These days everything has to go in the correct hopper, it cannot all go in the same one any longer. This means you have to know what goes where in order to segregate all the rubbish at home.

Hire a skip from Hitchin Skip Hire for your soil and mud

A Hertfordshire client recently hired one of our skips as they just could not believe how much earth they had to get rid of when they dug out a pond in their back garden. Our client had intended to build up their flower beds and other low spots of their garden with the excavated earth. They never thought they would need to get rid of any earth at all.

Useful information about skip hire in Hertfordshire

The one question we get asked the most at Hitchin Skip Hire is what size skip the customer will need. We always suggest that you think about what you need to dispose of and remember that two skips can be far more expensive than one larger skip. Skips are measured by the yard and range from 3 yard mini skips to roll-on roll-off containers more suitable for higher volume waste requirements.

Hire a skip from Hitchin Skip Hire to save you time effort and money

Hiring a skip from Hitchin Skip Hire is without a doubt the best way to get rid of all your waste materials! It is convenient, quick, easy and saves you a huge amount of work. Generally speaking, we only get a couple of days a week away from work, and when you end up ferrying your household waste back and forth from the local tip, your weekend soon gets swallowed up.

The benefits of skip hire from Hitchin Skip Hire in Hertfordshire

Having a good clear out of the garden shed or garage produces way more rubbish than you ever imagined possible. Decorating preparation can also produce a good deal of waste, such as old skirting boards and stripped wood chip paper that his been up since the war, so a skip is a great way to dispose of the waste.

Further Information

If you would like to know more or are interested in a quote we would be happy to help. Phone us on 0800 169 8588, email us at info@stevenageskiphire.co.uk or fill in our enquiry form and we will be in touch as soon as possible.