Salford City Council urges local residents to fight fly-tipping this November

Salford City Council has teamed up with Keep Britain Tidy for ‘Fight Fly-Tipping Fortnight’, a new campaign to crack down on rogue ‘white van’ operators and help local residents protect themselves and their communities from the growing scourge of waste crime.

Fly-tipping costs councils across England millions of pounds every year in clean-up costs, draining money that could otherwise be spent on essential local services. In Salford, the council cleared up a total of 7,610 incidents in the past year, an increase of 15%, costing local taxpayers more than £400,000.

The campaign calls on people in Salford to protect themselves and their communities from falling for a #RubbishDeal – low-cost, unlicensed services offered on social media by organised waste criminals.

Fight Fly-tipping Fortnight aims to shine a spotlight on rogue operators, who lure people in with cheap deals, only to illegally dump household waste on streets, fields and public spaces.

1. Salford City Council is supporting Fight Fly-tipping Fortnight with a social media campaign, calling on households to take three simple steps to avoid a #RubbishDeal:
2. Ask for a waste carrier registration number and
   check it on the Environment Agency’s public register or call 0300 065 3000
3. Check you’ll get a receipt

To report fly–tipping incidents in Salford, visit the council's website report it page or call 0161 793 2500. 

Councillor Barbara Bentham, Lead Member for Neighbourhoods, Environment and Community Safety at Salford City Council said: 

“Fly-tipping has a real impact in Salford and is a deep source of frustration. Not only is it a blight on our local environment, with everything from waste piling up near bin collection points and back alleyways to rubbish dumped in green spaces,  it costs taxpayers thousands in clear up costs – money that could otherwise be spent on essential services such as care for the elderly and vulnerable children.
 
“Our teams work tirelessly to tackle the problem, but we need our community’s help to stop it at the source. We’re asking people to check who they pay to take rubbish away. If a deal looks too good to be true, it probably is – and sadly it’s our residents and communities who ultimately pay the price.”

Dr. Anna Scott, Director of Services at Keep Britain Tidy, said:

“Councils are on the frontline of the fight against fly-tipping, responding day in, day out to clear dumped waste and keep our public spaces safe and clean. We know how much pressure this puts on already stretched local teams and we’re incredibly grateful to Salford for joining forces with us for Fight Fly-tipping Fortnight.
 
“This campaign is about empowering residents to play their part in tackling this growing issue. By making simple checks before handing over waste and always getting a receipt, people can protect themselves from rogue traders, stop organised criminal networks in their tracks and help ensure public money is spent where it’s needed most.”