Fees to dispose of DIY waste at recycling centres could soon be scrapped in England under plans to crackdown on fly-tipping.
At present, existing legislation means that any rubbish that is generated as a result of DIY, which includes shed or fence panels, tiles, plasterboard, paving slabs, and more, is classed as being industrial waste, even if produced at home, and this means that local councils in England and Wales are not responsible for providing free disposal points.
In 2015, the government banned charges on local residents disposing of household rubbish at household waste centres.
And while guidance made clear that this includes DIY household waste, some local councils and authorities are still able to charge for certain types of DIY material, under rules designed for construction waste.
Read more: Two south Manchester takeaways fined £20k for flytipping and ‘waste offences’
These fees linked to disposing of DIY waste at recycling centres across the country is said to be a contributor to fly-tipping and the rise in incidents over the past two years that have occurred as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, with official figures showing that more than one million fly-tipping incidents have been recorded by local authorities in 2021.
Now, a consultation launched by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs is proposing scrapping charges for getting rid of such waste
It’s hoped that this could deter people from the need to fly-tip.
Although different councils charge people different amounts for getting rid of DIY waste, the government believes its plans could save households as much as £10 per item.
The consultation documents read: “The government believes householders should not be charged to dispose of DIY waste… and we are proposing changes to allow householders to deposit DIY waste for free.
“This will reduce the potential risk of fly-tipping, littering and backyard burning which create additional costs for local authorities and causes environmental issues.”
The consultation is being held online and runs until 4 July.
Featured Image – Pixabay
