Fly-tipping
Illegal waste dumping or "fly-tipping" is a serious concern for the Council and the local community.
It is a health hazard, can be physically dangerous, and fly-tippers shift the financial burden of cleaning up their waste onto tax payers.
Report fly-tipping
If you discover fly-tipped waste, you should report it to the council using our online form or the contact details at the top-right hand corner of this page.
Before you report it, please follow the below steps:
- Do not touch the waste: fly-tipped waste can be dangerous or contain hazardous substances.
- Visually inspect the waste – try to determine what the waste consists of and how much there is.
- Take note of its exact location and whether it is in or near water.
- Do not disturb the site, as it may contain evidence that could help identify the offenders and lead to their prosecution.
If you see someone fly-tipping, please try to make a note of:
- the day, date and time you saw the fly-tipping
- how many people were fly-tipping and what they looked like
- any vehicles involved (and their make, colour and registration number)
- the view you had of the fly-tipping offence
- weather and light conditions.
Fly-tipping is an offence
- Dumping waste without permission is a serious criminal offence which can carry a fine up to £50,000 and a prison sentence.
- It is also an offence to allow someone else to fly-tip or illegally dump waste on your behalf.
If you arrange for waste to be removed, you should check the contractor’s duty of care notice which allows them to legally dispose of rubbish.
How we manage fly-tipping and waste
- The Council can prosecute anyone caught dumping waste.
- We can also prosecute people controlling vehicles used to dump waste, and seize vehicles used in fly-tipping offences. This means that it is possible to prosecute even if the driver of the vehicle is not identifiable.
- We can also issue warnings and Fixed Penalty Notices for less serious cases of fly-tipping.
Responsibilities of residents
It is an offence to improperly dispose of domestic waste. Repeat offenders can be prosecuted or issued with £100 penalties. Please follow the below guidelines for disposing of domestic waste:
- You should present your domestic waste for collection in line with the Council’s refuse collection schedule for your street.
- You should not present your waste excessively early, or put it out after the collection schedule.
For households on major high streets that are located above commercial properties and have limited or no waste storage area, the Council operates a random refuse collection service throughout the day.
Responsibilities of businesses
If you own or run a business in Hackney, you must make arrangements for your commercial waste to be collected by a registered waste carrier. You have a responsibility to ensure that:
- you have an appropriate waste collection agreement to dispose of your business waste.
- you prevent the escape of your business waste (which can cause a nuisance to local residents).
- your business waste is transferred to a registered waste carrier for disposal who provides you with a waste transfer note (WTN) or receipt as evidence of waste disposal
- you keep records of your WTN or receipt for a minimum period of two years and are able to provide it upon request from the Council (businesses disposing of waste who to fail to provide Waste Transfer Notes for a period of covering two years may be prosecuted or issued with £300 penalty notice)
- you present your waste for collection in line with refuse collection regulations for the road your business is located on
- if you own vacant land, you must ensure that it is secured and not easily accessible by the public.
How we can help you dispose of bulky waste
In an effort to reduce the number of fly-tipping incidences, the Council provides a special refuse collection for large items.
This service is free and open to all Hackney residents. It allows for the collection of items such as mattresses, beds, sofas, cookers and fridges. We can collect up to five items from each household four times a year.
Find out more about our bulky waste collection service.
Page updated: 17 Sep 2009