Cleanzine: your weekly cleaning and hygiene industry newsletter 18th April 2024 Issue no. 1110
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I live in Epsom in southern England in what used to be called 'the stockbroker belt' where decades ago, wealthy gentlemen would don their pinstripe suits and bowler hats and take the train into the City of London, with a posh brolly and a copy of the Financial Times in their hands, which would in turn keep them dry and informed during their commute to the office.
Just a few minutes' walk from Epsom station is an illegal dump which in eight days became filled with some 100,000 tonnes of fly-tipped waste - some of it contaminated and some of it potentially hazardous. A huge chunk of our council tax, which is badly needed for local services, will be spent clearing that tip and I'm not happy! The dump is within walking distance of my home and close to the civic amenity tip - in place to deal responsibly with the type of waste that's been dumped.
I'm delighted that the BBC (www.bbc.co.uk ) was able to identify the gang leader responsible for this crime and I sincerely hope that the criminals are imprisoned and their ill-gotten gains confiscated. But what of the businesses and ordinary householders who paid cash to have their rubbish removed, probably because they thought it would be less expensive than using a licenced company? Hasn't it occurred to them that although it might be cheap and convenient, it's going to cost them more money in the end, because by encouraging this sort of crime it's going to become more widespread?
In England alone, it's estimated that there are 114 cases of illegal dumping every hour and that last year £58 million from our council tax was spent cleaning it up.
Why has it become so lucrative and easy for waste to be illegally dumped rather than being taken to the official tip?
We're told not to pay tradespeople cash as it encourages tax avoidance and makes it harder for the authorities to trace fly tippers, and we're also told to check carrier registration details before paying anyone to remove our rubbish. It's clearly not enough to stop the rot, is it, but what's the answer? Please get in touch with your ideas!
Please get in touch either by emailing me or posting a comment on our Facebook page www.facebook.com/Cleanzine
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Yours,
1st November 2018