11/11/2025 - Permalink

Residents urged to check who takes their rubbish away

Related topics: Climate change / environment

Shropshire Council is marking Keep Britain Tidy’s Fight Fly-tipping fortnight (10 to 23 November 2025) by calling on everyone in Shropshire to check who they pay to take their rubbish away.

Last year the council’s teams cleared up 1569 fly-tipping incidents, costing local council taxpayers around £122,000. That’s money that could have gone towards improving local areas and services across the county.

Across the country there are over a million fly-tipping incidents each year, blighting streets, parks and local spaces, and costing millions of pounds that could be better spent on public services..

David Vasmer, Shropshire Council’s Cabinet member for highways and waste, said:

“Fly-tipping is big problem for all of us – for residents, for the council and for our local environment. It’s unsightly, it’s dangerous and it costs a lot of money for the council to clear up – money that could be far better spent on providing services to local people.

“A big part of the problem comes from rogue ‘white van’ operators offering cheap rubbish removal deals on social media and online. These unlicensed traders take people’s money and then dump waste illegally in a nearby street or lay-by.

“If your waste ends up being fly-tipped, you could face a fine – even if someone else dumped it. If a deal seems too good to be true, it probably is.

“So, this week we’re saying to people: Protect yourself. Protect your community. Protect your local public services.”

If you’re hiring someone to take your rubbish away, there are three simple steps to avoid inviting a criminal into your home:

1. Ask for a waste carrier registration number
2. Check it on the Environment Agency’s public register or call 0300 065 3000
3. Check you’ll get a receipt

To report fly-tipping incidents in Shropshire visit the Shropshire Council website or use the FixMyStreet app.

People can follow the SCRAP code to ensure their waste is correctly disposed of:

  • Suspect all waste carriers; do not let them take your waste unless they can prove that they are legitimate. A legitimate waste carrier should be happy to answer reasonable questions.
  • Check their waste carrier’s registration details. These can be verified by checking the Environment Agency website or by calling 03708 506 506. Make a note of the registration details of the vehicle used to remove your waste.
  • Refuse unexpected offers to have any rubbish taken away. If you suspect that someone you have spoken to is disposing of waste illegally, report their name and vehicle registration to the Environment Agency.
  • Ask what will happen to your rubbish and seek evidence that it will be disposed of appropriately.
  • Paperwork should be obtained. Make sure you get a full receipt and waste transfer note for your waste removal. This should give a description of the waste and provide the waste carrier’s licence number and contact details.