I'm a householder
Two thirds of all illegally dumped waste in Wales comes from households, so the most important thing you can do to help us reduce fly-tipping is to stop your waste getting into the hands of potential fly-tippers.
Your Waste. Your Responsibility.
As an occupier of a domestic property, you have a legal duty to make sure any household rubbish produced on your property is given to an authorised person. You must check that anybody you give your household rubbish to is a registered waste carrier. If you take household waste yourself then you must check the site is registered to accept it.
For example, this might be additional waste that you have generated whilst having a spring clean, unwanted items such as old washing machines, fridge freezers, mattresses, old toys or waste from small scale DIY works that you have done on your own property.
This is called your 'Householder Waste Duty of Care' and full guidance can be found our Duty of Care page.
Skip Hire / House Clearance
If you engage a private business (such as skip hire or house clearance) or they approach you to take away your waste then to meet your duty of care you should check that they are a registered waste carrier with a valid upper tier licence.
Each carrier should have a registration number starting CBDU, followed by a series of numbers. This can be checked by visiting the Natural Resources Wales online public register or by calling 0300 065 3000.
It is a criminal offence if you do not take all reasonable measures available to you to meet your duty of care. You could receive a £300 fixed penalty notice (FPN) or be prosecuted and given an unlimited fine.
Tradespersons
If someone carries out work on your property then they are responsible for the waste produced and they must comply with their duty of care towards their business waste. However, if you ask a tradesperson to remove additional waste that you have produced on your property, you must check that they are a registered waste carrier.
When employing a tradesperson, always ask before they start the work, how they plan to dispose of the waste they produce.
How do I dispose of my waste responsibly?
There are many ways you can dispose of your unwanted waste safely, legally and responsibly.
Can any of your items be given to recycling charities or donated to local charity shops. Also, can any of the waste items be offered for sale (or free) on websites such as Ebay, Freecycle, Preloved or Gumtree? Remember, one person’s waste is another’s treasure!
If your items have no second-hand appeal or hope of repair, then Local Authorities across Wales run household waste recycling centres where you can take waste to be recycled or disposed of.
You can use the Wales Recycles website to find your nearest household waste recycling centre and whether your waste is accepted. You can also check on your Local Authority’s website.
Many local authorities can collect large, bulky items from your home for a small fee. Contact your local authority for more information.
What happens if I fly-tip my household rubbish?
If you decided to fly-tip then you are breaking the law and risk a criminal record, with fines of up to £50,000 or 12 months imprisonment. More serious or repeated offences can attract an unlimited fine and up to 5 years imprisonment if convicted in Crown Court.
