Campaign Description
Focussed enforcement campaigns are carried out twice a year. These have resulted in a number of positive actions by the enforcement authorities.
Publicity and Awareness Raising
Prior to and during the campaign enforcement officers of the local authorities and SEPA use the media to highlight the problems associated with fly tipping. Local press in many areas of the country provide support with articles advertising the flytipping prevention campaign. This provides the opportunity to raise awareness about the Dumb Dumpers campaign in general and to pass on information to the public and businesses regarding proper and responsible disposal of waste and mechanisms for reporting flytipping incidents.
Duty of care audits
Audits have been carried out on business premises dealing with waste streams that are regarded as problematic to ensure compliance with legislation in many areas.
Duty of care audits throughout Scotland have been extremely successful and exposed an illegal tyre dumping operation in Strathclyde. In other areas visits on garages revealed that a considerable number of companies burn waste oil in oil burners or burn commercial waste in general on their premises. Letters have been issued to these companies explaining the legislation and follow up visits will take place to monitor compliance in the future. The contact made with building companies gave enforcement officers the opportunity to raise awareness about duty of care and the need to be registered to carry waste.
Stop and search operations
These operations were carried out by local authority and SEPA officers in partnership with various Road Policing Departments and concentrated on the 'white van trade' to check for illegal waste movement and to ensure carriers were registered with SEPA and had the appropriate transfer documentation available for inspection.
This type of operation is extremely useful and highlights that many small businesses are not aware of the need to be registered to carry waste. It is therefore an opportunity to raise awareness regarding duty of care, registration of carriers and the use of transfer/consignment notes. The white van trade sector is one that may be targeted in any future operations.
Feedback from Enforcement Officers
Feedback is positive and it is generally reported that the multi-agency enforcement weeks is very effective and successful at reducing flytipping and raising awareness of the problems associated with illegal disposal of waste.
However, the format of the Enforcement Weeks is being reviewed by the Forum to ensure the authorities realise maximum benefit from the considerable amount of effort involved.