Residents are being encouraged to take simple steps to protect themselves from rogue waste collectors who illegally dump the rubbish they are paid to remove as part of Keep Britain Tidy’s Fight Fly Tipping Fortnight.
Rogue waste collectors often advertise online and through social media, offering cheap rubbish removal services that can appear legitimate. However, many are unlicensed operators who illegally dump the waste they collect, leaving communities to deal with the mess and environmental damage.
Residents can protect themselves from a ‘rubbish deal’ by carrying out three simple checks before handing over their waste:
- Ask to see a waste carrier licence.
- Check the licence number on the Environment Agency's public register or call 0300 065 3000.
- Make sure you receive a receipt or proof of collection.
Fight Fly-Tipping Fortnight is giving an extra boost to the council's Don't Mess with Brent campaign, which is cracking down on environmental crime and investing more funding into waste services across the borough. £1.2 million was recently invested into street cleansing services which has funded a dedicated team and vehicle to tackle fly-tips and excess waste on 15 housing estates, a new rapid response cleansing team, additional mechanical sweepers, enhanced night-time rubbish clearances and bin collections, and five extra litter pickers for town centres and high streets.
