DIY waste charges at recycling centres to be removed in new year
CLA welcomes incoming ban on council charges, in the war against fly-tipping
The CLA has welcomed the incoming ban on DIY waste charges at recycling centres, with certain fees to be removed in the new year.
Earlier this year Defra announced the fees which some local authorities charge for disposing of DIY waste would be abolished, with the legislation coming into effect from 1 January, 2024.
The Government said the move would reduce fly-tipping and encourage recycling. Currently around a third of local authorities still charge for household DIY waste, raking in up to £10 for an individual item such as a sheet of plasterboard.
Responding to the upcoming ban on charges, Country Land and Business Association President Victoria Vyvyan said:
“This is good news for those residents who use recycling centres where local authorities still charge, and also for farmers who end up bearing the brunt of illegal fly-tipped materials dumped on their land.
“There are one million incidents of fly-tipping reported every year, and it has a massive impact on the environment, wildlife, and crops as well as on the farmers who have to pay to clear it up. Making it cheaper and easier for people to get rid of their waste means they will be less likely to dump it illegally, but the police must also deal with the criminal gangs making money by dumping waste.
“We should be making it as simple as possible for people to dispose of rubbish and unwanted items responsibly, so the removal of any cost barriers is welcome.”
Impact of fly-tipping
There were more than one million fly-tipping incidents in England in 12 months, Defra figures show. Local authorities dealt with 1.09 million incidents on public land in the year ending March 2022. This excludes incidents on private land.
The CLA estimates the average cost of clearing-up a fly-tipping incident for farmers is £1,000 – they have to pay to remove waste from their land even though they are the victim. If there’s asbestos dumped it can cost considerably more.
As well as the financial cost, fly-tipping impacts wildlife, crops and the environment.