South Cambridgeshire Launches Campaign to Tackle Fly-Tipping
Council urges residents to check waste carriers and use responsible disposal methods to protect local communities and the environment.
By Rebecca Flint
••3 min read
AI
Generic image of a hand holding a mobile phone displaying a website and another hand holding a crumpled receipt, with blurred backgrounds of a road and bins.
South Cambridgeshire District Council has launched a new campaign, 'Your Waste, Your Responsibility', to combat the growing problem of fly-tipping across the region.
A new campaign has been launched to help residents in South Cambridgeshire dispose of unwanted items responsibly and reduce fly-tipping. The District Council's 'Your Waste, Your Responsibility' campaign reminds residents of their duty of care to ensure their waste is passed to a properly licensed, registered waste carrier. Since the start of the 2024/25 financial year, the Council has received over 3,800 reports of fly-tipping in the area.
Launched during Fight Fly-Tipping Fortnight, the campaign supports Keep Britain Tidy's initiative to tackle fly-tipping by encouraging people to check before handing their waste to unregistered operators. The core message, 'Check it. Trust it. Prove it.', highlights the role residents can play in preventing waste from being illegally dumped in the countryside, villages, and public spaces.
Residents are advised to check that they are using a licensed waste carrier via the Environment Agency waste carrier register, trust that their waste will be disposed of responsibly, and prove it by keeping a receipt or waste transfer document. Many people unknowingly use unlicensed carriers, risking their waste being illegally dumped and contributing to fly-tipping incidents that harm local communities and the environment.
Using an unlicensed waste carrier can lead to Fixed Penalty Notices of up to £600 for breaching household waste duty of care, and an additional £300 for failing to produce a Waste Transfer Note. The Council has already fined or prosecuted nearly 70 people for fly-tipping since the start of the 2024/25 financial year.
“
"We hate fly-tipping just as much as residents do. It is a national problem - and we’re determined to do something about it in South Cambridgeshire. Most residents want to do the right thing when disposing of unwanted items, but unfortunately some unlicensed operators take advantage of this. By taking a few simple checks before handing over your waste, you can help protect our countryside and local communities from fly-tipping."
“
"We want residents to know that there are several safe, legal and responsible ways to dispose of unwanted items, whether that's using a licensed waste carrier, booking a bulky waste collection, taking items to a recycling centre, donating them to charity, or finding them a new home through local selling and reuse sites."
The campaign will also target local social media groups where waste collection services are often sought, reminding people of their responsibilities. Residents are encouraged to check for licensed waste carriers and obtain receipts, use the Greater Cambridge Shared Waste Service for bulky waste collections, take items to a local Household Recycling Centre, donate good-quality items to charity, or sell or give them away through local marketplaces.
Recently, the District Council took action at a bring bank site in Cambourne, issuing 24 fines for fly-tipping beside charity clothing banks. Leaving items beside donation banks can create litter, attract further dumping, and incur costs for charities. Fly-tipping significantly impacts local communities, wildlife, and the environment, while also costing taxpayers money for clean-up efforts.
Residents can find more information on responsible waste disposal, bulky waste collections, and recycling options on the District Council’s campaign webpage, 'Your Waste, Your Responsibility'.
