Who pays the fine if your rubbish gets fly-tipped?

You hire a man with a van. He takes your old sofa and a few bags of garage clutter for forty quid. A week later the council finds it in a gateway off the B1135, with a letter inside bearing your address.

Who gets the fine? You might, and here is why.

The duty of care is on you

Under the Environmental Protection Act, anyone who produces household waste has a duty to make sure it is only handed to an authorised person — a registered waste carrier. If you cannot show you checked, you can be held responsible for what happens to it afterwards.

How to not be that person

Ask for the carrier registration number and check it on the Environment Agency public register. It takes a minute and it is free. If they will not give it, that is your answer.

Every load we take comes with a waste transfer note, and our registration is on every page of this site.