BASILDON Council is teaming up with Keep Britain Tidy for ‘Fight Fly-Tipping Fortnight’, a new campaign to crack down on rogue ‘white van’ operators and help local residents protect themselves and their communities from the growing scourge of waste crime.

Fly-tipping costs councils across England millions of pounds every year in clean-up costs, draining money that could otherwise be spent on essential local services. In Basildon, Area Committees regularly fund Crunch collections, and the council responded to over 3,500 incidents in the past year, mostly consisting of unauthorised deposits of household waste, furniture, and black sacks.

The campaign calls on people in Basildon to protect themselves and their communities from falling for a #RubbishDeal – low-cost, unlicensed services offered on social media by organised waste criminals. Fight Fly-tipping Fortnight aims to shine a spotlight on rogue operators, who lure people in with cheap deals, only to illegally dump household waste on streets, fields and public spaces.

Basildon Council is supporting Fight Fly-tipping Fortnight with a local campaign calling on households to take three simple steps to avoid a #RubbishDeal:

Ask for a waste carrier registration number

Check it on the Environment Agency’s public register at https://environment.data.gov.uk/public-register/view/search-waste-carriers-brokers or call 0300 065 3000)

Check you’ll get a receipt

Cllr Aidan McGurran, Cabinet Member for Environment & Leisure, said:

“Fly-tipping has a real impact in Basildon and is a deep source of frustration. Not only is it a blight on our local environment, with everything from construction waste dumped on rural lanes and waste piling up in street corners, it costs taxpayers thousands in clear up costs – money that could otherwise be spent on driving improvements in service delivery across the council.

“Our teams work tirelessly to tackle the problem, but we need our community’s help to stop it at the source. We’re asking people to check who they pay to take rubbish away. If a deal looks too good to be true, it probably is – and sadly it’s our residents and communities who ultimately pay the price.”

Dr. Anna Scott, Director of Services at Keep Britain Tidy, said “Councils are on the frontline of the fight against fly-tipping, responding day in, day out to clear dumped waste and keep our public spaces safe and clean. We know how much pressure this puts on already stretched local teams and we’re incredibly grateful to Basildon Council for joining forces with us for Fight Fly-tipping Fortnight.

“This campaign is about empowering residents to play their part in tackling this growing issue. By making simple checks before handing over waste and always getting a receipt, people can protect themselves from rogue traders, stop organised criminal networks in their tracks and help ensure public money is spent where it’s needed most.”

Fight Fly-tipping Fortnight will run from 10 – 23 November 2025, with local authorities across the country joining forces with Keep Britain Tidy to highlight the scale and impact of fly-tipping, educate residents on how to protect themselves and their communities.

To report fly–tipping incidents, visit:https://www5.basildon.gov.uk/report/dumpedrubbish

Residents can use the Council’s Bulky Waste bookable service at the cost of £30 for the collection of 1-5 items – charges apply from 1 April 2025 to 31 March 2026.

If residents choose to use a private company to dispose of their waste, they must ensure the company holds a valid Waste Carrier Licence. Failing to do so could result in the resident being held responsible if the waste is fly-tipped — and they could face a fine or prosecution.To find people or businesses registered as Waste Carriers, Brokers or Dealers visit: https://environment.data.gov.uk/public-register/view/search-waste-carriers-brokers

Fly-Tipping Could Cost You £1,000 – even if you didn’t dump it yourself. Basildon Council has increased its Fixed Penalty Notices (FPNs) to crack down on fly-tipping and illegal waste disposal. Residents who fail to check whether a private waste collector is properly licensed could face fines — even if they didn’t dump the waste themselves.