A warning has been issued over handing your waste to 'disposal officers' after one resident was fined over £200.
Knowsley Council is reminding people that they can be fined for handing waste to an unlicensed waste disposal operator, who then goes on to fly tip the items. Recently, one Knowsley resident was prosecuted and handed a £274 fine for such an offence.
Around 12 bin bags of household waste were handed over by the resident to an unlicensed waste disposal operator who then unlawfully dumped the waste on green space.
READ MORE: 'Kind' TUI air hostess dies weeks after dad's sudden death at work
At this time of year, residents may be having a post-Christmas clear out, however, if you hand over your old sofas, broken washing machines, burst mattresses or bags of waste, it’s possible others will illegally fly tip.
And Knowsley Council is reminding people that it is the householder who could face an unlimited fine for failing to dispose of their waste responsibly by hiring an unauthorised waste carrier.
Cllr Shelley Powell, Knowsley’s Cabinet member for Communities and Neighbourhoods said: "Fly tipping is a blight on our communities and has serious environmental consequences. Therefore, as a local authority we can and will fine householders who haven’t taken the responsible steps to ensure their waste is passed to an authorised waste carrier.
"We urge residents to remind themselves of their household waste disposal responsibilities and avoid being fined."
Householders using private contractors to remove household, garden or construction waste must make sure the company or individual is a registered waste carrier with these top tips:
- Ask the person who collects your waste to see their registration – it should start with CBDU, followed by a set of numbers
- Ring the Environment Agency on 03708 506506 to check their credentials or visit their website
- Ask where they’re proposing to take your waste and if they have a waste transfer note
- Don’t pay cash, pay by a secure payment method or cheque, so payments can be traced
- If it sounds too good to be true it probably is. The average price of a skip is around £150
- Never agree to cold callers offering any type of home improvements work or services
Residents can also dispose of their waste at Knowsley’s two Household Recycling and Waste Centres run by the Merseyside Recycling and Waste Authority at Wilson Road, Huyton and Depot Road, Kirkby. Alternatively, Knowsley Council also operate a Bulky Waste collection service. Find out more here.
Receive newsletters with the latest news, sport and what's on updates from the Liverpool ECHO by signing up here
READ NEXT
Son 'exploited' mum into laundering drug money from jail
Personal trainer, paedo martial arts teacher and DJ among 16 crooks jailed this week
I visited the new Red Brick Market for the very first time and was completely blown away
ITV Dancing On Ice viewers baffled by 'unfair' issue as Ekin Su survives skate off
Mum who was 'too young' for 'terrible' diagnosis given year to live