[We came across these shocking fly-tip sites all within a 1 mile radius within our beautiful Cambridgeshire countryside]
As a business or household, if you get a suspiciously cheap quote to remove your rubbish it’s most likely to go one of three ways:
Scenario 1: The person taking your rubbish doesn’t care in the slightest, had no intention of dealing with it properly, and will randomly dump your rubbish at the side of the road somewhere without a second thought (see above and below images).
Scenario 2: The person taking your rubbish doesn’t understand that, once they have accepted payment for the service, your household rubbish becomes commercial waste, regardless of where it has come from. They’ll get turned away at the tip and then take the decision to simply get rid of it illegally because they don’t know what other options they have.
Scenario 3: The inexperienced person taking your rubbish intended to go through the proper channels and made it to a licensed waste transfer station, only to find that it costs them more than they’ve charged you to dispose of it. So – guess what, they leave in a hurry and offload it somewhere else. Anyone want a sofa?
It’s important that customers understand the processes involved in disposing of junk. The last thing you want is for the items to be traced back to you (and they often are) and then to receive a hefty fine for unknowingly and indirectly fly-tipping your belongings.
How can you avoid getting caught out?
Ask for their waste carrier license certificate
(ours is here)
Ask for their registration number
(ours is CBDU284369)
Check they are fully insured
(our insurance details are online here)
Ask for a Waste Transfer Note (WTN)
This doesn’t protect you from unscrupulous carriers but it will give you some comeback if your provider fly-tips and you are traced. The WTN will at least show the local authority that you have entered into the agreement in good faith and the waste carrier has taken on the duty of care on your behalf. It also gives you something in writing.
Above all, our advice is to always use a reputable and established business who work for both domestic and commercial customers (this reflects sector expertise) – and who are able to demonstrate knowledge and experience in the industry.
Remember:
A decent business will never fly-tip
Check your supplier out online
There is no such thing as a cheap deal