[Misc] Fly tipping - it's rubbish

[LamieRobertson]

My secret pastime is litter picking, then separating it by recyclables and other. I've been doing it for ages, I thought it was just me . I just get on with it on bike rides or walks. From the South Downs and also in our city, I must collect 1,000's of bits a year.

Then I found out that during the pandemic 100,000's of Brits had started doing it too. Also Matt Baker promotes a scheme.

Love making a difference, far better for my soul than being annoyed about it.

Well that’s blown it

 

[BrightonCottager]

The Council 'tips' are only for Household (not commercial) waste. This is how businesses should be dealing with their waste:

How to dispose of business and trade rubbish and recycling

Find out what business waste is. Learn your responsibilities as a business and why you need a Duty of care waste transfer notice.

www.brighton-hove.gov.uk

I help run beachcleans and almost all the stuff we find in central Brighton and Hove comes from businesses on or near the Seafront. A colleague in the environmental organisation has been working with the Council to introduce a plastic-free Seafront scheme but it's not been introduced.

 

[giveusfalmerplease]

I can see why private waste dumping is increasing as I recently wanted someone to collect and dump a double bed and divan and was quoted £85 by one firm and £119 by another. 4 hours of cutting of divan into firewood and disposed of free via recycling van and a few cuts on my hand for using pliers to break the springs into small pieces and disposing over four days in the communal bins, job done.

 

[giveusfalmerplease]

I help run beachcleans and almost all the stuff we find in central Brighton and Hove comes from businesses on or near the Seafront. A colleague in the environmental organisation has been working with the Council to introduce a plastic-free Seafront scheme but it's not been introduced.

Funny that I once helped clean the beach by removing a few hundred pebbles from the pathway outside the shops by the pier but was told by a passer by that I could be arrested for theft so had to put them back .I was half tempted to put them back on the pavement but just chucked the pile back on the beach edge. Funny that considering garden centers seem to sell beach shaped pebbles .hmm.

 

[MJsGhost]

I'd pay more in council tax if it was guaranteed to be dealt with.

As would I.

It's not something everyone could afford to do though so it's hard to see how it could happen without cuts to something else.

Going off-piste a little (though related), I do sometimes wonder if we (as a nation) prioritised spending on education and gave everyone a decent start in life, maybe we'd make that money back by spending less elsewhere...
You know, provide everyone with the tools and opportunities to succeed in life and the knowledge needed to make healthier choices and choices that are better for the environment (by which I mean our immediate living environment and 'the' environment)... Maybe we'd spend less on benefits, law enforcement, healthcare, and repairing the damage to the/our environment...

Has anyone thought of that before? (Other than those dirty Commie Socialist b@stards of course)

The trouble is, it'll take 20-30 years to see much/any return on that investment, so no political party is going to commit to spending the kind of money required.
It would also reduce the baked-in advantage of the middle and upper classes, so those with their hands on the levers of power (and those who financially support them) have no motivation to push it through.

Anyway, back on topic I would be very much in favour of (quickly) escalating fines/penalties for serial offenders. It won't solve the problem on its own, but would surely act as a deterrent for those who habitually go about fly-tipping as a way to either save money (domestic fly-tippers), or make money (dodgy 'trades').

For more minor offenses (e.g. chucking rubbish out of car windows - including fag butts ), we can maybe bring back stocks and pillories, so communities can make their own stand

 

[Weststander]

My Dad used to love going to Preston Park. Most times he went, he returned with a bag full of rubbish.

Then there was a father and son tag team who lived on Braybon Avenue. I regularly saw them around town, pushing a pram filled with rubbish they had picked up.

I had a not so funny mishap last year. On a bike ride over the Downs roads, I stopped to pick up litter, tucking it into my shorts. Little did I know that Earwigs were hiding in it. I didn't know that their pincers bites can cause a reaction, I had a huge itchy rash down one leg that took ages to go.

 

[Weststander]

The Council 'tips' are only for Household (not commercial) waste. This is how businesses should be dealing with their waste:

How to dispose of business and trade rubbish and recycling

Find out what business waste is. Learn your responsibilities as a business and why you need a Duty of care waste transfer notice.

www.brighton-hove.gov.uk

I help run beachcleans and almost all the stuff we find in central Brighton and Hove comes from businesses on or near the Seafront. A colleague in the environmental organisation has been working with the Council to introduce a plastic-free Seafront scheme but it's not been introduced.

Is that the volunteers beach cleans?

 

[pb21]

I'm not an advocate of the death penalty, far from it in fact. However, I'd make an exception for fly tippers, the selfish ****s don't deserve to live.

 

[Weststander]

As would I.

It's not something everyone could afford to do though so it's hard to see how it could happen without cuts to something else.

Going off-piste a little (though related), I do sometimes wonder if we (as a nation) prioritised spending on education and gave everyone a decent start in life, maybe we'd make that money back by spending less elsewhere...
You know, provide everyone with the tools and opportunities to succeed in life and the knowledge needed to make healthier choices and choices that are better for the environment (by which I mean our immediate living environment and 'the' environment)... Maybe we'd spend less on benefits, law enforcement, healthcare, and repairing the damage to the/our environment...

Has anyone thought of that before? (Other than those dirty Commie Socialist b@stards of course)

The trouble is, it'll take 20-30 years to see much/any return on that investment, so no political party is going to commit to spending the kind of money required.
It would also reduce the baked-in advantage of the middle and upper classes, so those with their hands on the levers of power (and those who financially support them) have no motivation to push it through.

Anyway, back on topic I would be very much in favour of (quickly) escalating fines/penalties for serial offenders. It won't solve the problem on its own, but would surely act as a deterrent for those who habitually go about fly-tipping as a way to either save money (domestic fly-tippers), or make money (dodgy 'trades').

For more minor offenses (e.g. chucking rubbish out of car windows - including fag butts ), we can maybe bring back stocks and pillories, so communities can make their own stand

We were in Prague last week. Even in the suburbs, walking miles each day, we just didn't see litter. Just once a few empty beer bottles near our hotel in a hidden corner.

To my mind that means their 18 and 25 year old's aren't lobbing litter out of cars. Interesting. Most young people here are good too, but there's a hardcore cabal of louts doing as they please on any issue, not a jot of interest in their fellow man other than mates. I never littered as a kid, even though my parents never mentioned it.

 

[MJsGhost]

I had a not so funny mishap last year. On a bike ride over the Downs roads, I stopped to pick up litter, tucking it into my shorts. Little did I know that Earwigs were hiding in it. I didn't know that their pincers bites can cause a reaction, I had a huge itchy rash down one leg that took ages to go.

Not so funny you say...?

 

[studio150]

In my experience it's not predominantly trade - some, yes, but at least equal amounts of someones room renovation/new fridge/mattress/bedroom furniture etc

Too right, close to me are a few recycling community bins for glass, clothing, shoes, etc and on a regular basis mattresses old toys, furnture etc is dumped by these bins for the council to clear. What I can't understand that the people dumping these items would no doubt have driven there under the cover of darkness, but if they are driving why can't they drive to the local tip, or donate any good items to charity.

 

[dazzer6666]

Too right, close to me are a few recycling community bins for glass, clothing, shoes, etc and on a regular basis mattresses old toys, furnture etc is dumped by these bins for the council to clear. What I can't understand that the people dumping these items would no doubt have driven there under the cover of darkness, but if they are driving why can't they drive to the local tip, or donate any good items to charity.

We've got rid of loads of old furniture and stuff as we've re-done rooms over the last few years simply by lobbing a picture on facebook marketplace with 'free if collected' on it. Absolutely every time it's gone the same day - beds, wardrobes, kitchen table, bookcase etc etc. Win/win - someone gets to use it for nowt, I save a trip to the tip and something isn't wasted or ending up in landfill. I know a couple of times people have resold what I got rid of - if so, fair play to them. Latest thing was 3 SKy HD boxes I had that were redundant - guy who collected them said he was donating them to Ukrainian families to use as freeview boxes apparently

 

[portlock seagull]

When I take Mrs ETM out on a drive into the lovely English countryside, I expect to see things like trees, lambs, fields, hedges, rivers etc.

What I don't expect or want to see, is a pile of rubbish dumped by some **** because he wants to make a few more quid on a job by not paying the fee for trade waste at the local council tip.
I'm no eco-warrior, but each time I go anywhere out of Brighton, I see fly-tipping. It's a blot on the landscape. Either the charges to use the local tip are too high, the fines for fly-tipping are too low, or attitudes of both tradesmen and customers need to change.

What's the answer?

1. Make it free for the tradesmen? Take away the incentive to dump the rubbish in the country, because it won't cost them anything to dump it at the tip? There is a cost anyway of course. This would transfer the cost from the business to the council taxpayer. Not ideal.
2. Make the fines for fly-tipping much more severe, so that the individual dumping is risking his livelihood? I'm talking a steeply escalating scale of fines for repeat offenders, confiscation of vehicles etc.
3. Something else? Re-use of all waste materials somehow? Burial of all waste material on site? Ok, that's probably a pipe-dream.

I don't know which, if any, of the above would work. But something needs to change.

I’ll stop you right there at pt 1.

Where you’ve gone wrong is thinking many trades people give a shit. Believe me if you made it free, they’d still dump. There is a level of scum in this country that can’t be bothered to do anything and believe they’re above the law. I see dog mess next to dog poo bins. People throw litter on the floor a meter away from a bin etc etc.

The only thing these people understand is pain. We need new laws. First offence, a beating. 2nd offence, a severe kicking and huge fines. Third offence, death and children sold into slavery.

That sort of thing

 

[SAC]

There was a charity shop around the corner from us. Big signs stating not to leave donations when the shop is closed but every evening someone would leave a bag or 10 for the charity shop workers to find in the morning. The shop closed about 6 months ago and still people leave bags outside.

Unfortunately, people are lazy.

 

[thedonkeycentrehalf]

My secret pastime is litter picking, then separating it by recyclables and other. I've been doing it for ages, I thought it was just me . I just get on with it on bike rides or walks. From the South Downs and also in our city, I must collect 1,000's of bits a year.

Then I found out that during the pandemic 100,000's of Brits had started doing it too. Also Matt Baker promotes a scheme.

Love making a difference, far better for my soul than being annoyed about it.

There is an old boy who I see picking up the litter on the outskirts of Partridge Green early in the morning. All very commendable but he doesn't wear a hi-vis and has a habit of stepping into the road where there are no paths. I fear that one day he will get hit by someone who doesn't see him as they come around the bends.

 

[portlock seagull]

It's not just van loads of waste which defaced the countryside, the amount of rubbish people throw out of their cars is disgusting, take it home and put it in your bin. Litter pickers cleaned up along a section of the A22 three weekends running, no sooner had they finished than rubbish reappeared. Once I was waiting to cross the road to take the dogs for a walk when a van drove past and the driver threw an empty beer bottle out his window, glass shattered across the road, complete moron.

This drives me bananas. I absolutely cannot fathom why people do. I’d double the price of all chain takeaways and coffee shops and divert funds from into litter picking. Pay people £50k a year, funded by likes McDonalds. It’s their scummy customers who create the mess, make ‘em pay to pick it up and if that means a Big Mac costs £20 as a result so be it. Again, anyone caught throwing litter from car window should be summarily executed on the spot. And passengers made to walk home. Car crushed. Actually make that the tosser in question is crushed inside their car. 2 birds. One stone. That’ll learn ‘em.

 

[portlock seagull]

There was a charity shop around the corner from us. Big signs stating not to leave donations when the shop is closed but every evening someone would leave a bag or 10 for the charity shop workers to find in the morning. The shop closed about 6 months ago and still people leave bags outside.

Unfortunately, people are lazy.

Again, death penalty for such types. Gene pool needs cleaning.

 

[Weststander]

We've got rid of loads of old furniture and stuff as we've re-done rooms over the last few years simply by lobbing a picture on facebook marketplace with 'free if collected' on it. Absolutely every time it's gone the same day - beds, wardrobes, kitchen table, bookcase etc etc. Win/win - someone gets to use it for nowt, I save a trip to the tip and something isn't wasted or ending up in landfill. I know a couple of times people have resold what I got rid of - if so, fair play to them. Latest thing was 3 SKy HD boxes I has that were redundant - guy who collected them said he was donating them to Ukrainian families to use as freeview boxes apparently

Same here using EBay, selling stuff for pennies, but then not asking for payment. Often to people who are very handy at repairs or who use the best components with those from other applicances, to then resell. Washing machines and tumble driers, a lawn mower etc.

We tried Gumtree but its awash with scammers trying to get bank details.

 

[LamieRobertson]

This drives me bananas. I absolutely cannot fathom why people do. I’d double the price of all chain takeaways and coffee shops and divert funds from into litter picking. Pay people £50k a year, funded by likes McDonalds. It’s their scummy customers who create the mess, make ‘em pay to pick it up and if that means a Big Mac costs £20 as a result so be it. Again, anyone caught throwing litter from car window should be summarily executed on the spot. And passengers made to walk home. Car crushed. Actually make that the tosser in question is crushed inside their car. 2 birds. One stone. That’ll learn ‘em.

No thanks

 

[herecomesaregular]

I'm on the Brighton Volunteer Tidy Up Team (run by a member of the council). We spent a day clearing up fly tipped rubbish by the end of the allotments which are behind Brighton Woodvale Crem. Hard work (mostly with a bunch of old ladies, where the hell are young voulnteers?). Didn't take long for it all to reappear (with masses of tyres dumped). At the time I questioned to the council organiser why there was no fencing added here - reply was that cctv was secretly put in. Seems pointless to me when prosecutions are rare, just put a proper fence up!
Recently, again with two old ladies in their 70s, litterpicked Pav Gardens behind the cafe - 100s of glass booze bottles chucked over behind the long row of wooden benches opposite the theatre. Cleared it into the glass recycle bins on North St. Days later, many more bottles dumped by the alcoholic, spice and heroin addicts that congregate there.
All rather disheartening when you are trying to make the area you live in better. Unfortunately, too many wankers around nowadays. Always were but the proportion seems much higher in recent times.