Council urges residents to fight fly-tipping this October

Cheshire West and Chester Council is supporting Keep Britain Tidy's Fight Fly-Tipping Fortnight campaign, which warns residents about rogue waste traders posing as legitimate businesses online before illegally dumping the rubbish they are paid to remove.

Fly-tipping costs councils across England millions of pounds every year, taking money away from essential local services. The campaign encourages residents to avoid a #RubbishDeal by checking that anyone they pay to remove waste is properly licensed.

Professional-looking adverts, positive reviews and low prices can make rogue traders appear legitimate, but residents are being urged to make three simple checks before handing over their rubbish:

• Ask to see a waste carrier licence
• Check the number on the Environment Agency's public register or call 0300 065 3000
• Make sure you receive a receipt

Councillor Stuart Bingham, Cabinet Member for Community Safety and Neighbourhood Pride, said:

"Fly-tipping damages our communities and costs taxpayers money that could be spent on other services.

"While our teams work hard to tackle the problem, everyone can play a part in preventing it. Before paying someone to remove waste, ask to see a waste carrier licence, check it on the Environment Agency's public register and get a receipt. These simple steps can help protect you, your community and the local environment, and stop waste ending up on our streets, fields and public spaces."

Allison Ogden-Newton OBE, Chief Executive Officer at Keep Britain Tidy, said:

"Rogue waste traders are exploiting people's trust and leaving communities and councils to deal with the consequences.

"A convincing advert, positive reviews and a cheap price can make an illegal operator look legitimate. Our message is simple: don't fall for a #RubbishDeal. If it looks too good to be true, it probably is."

Fight Fly-Tipping Fortnight runs from 12th to 25th October 2026, with councils across the country joining forces to raise awareness of the impact of fly-tipping and help residents protect themselves and their communities.

For more information, visit:

Fight Fly-Tipping Fortnight 2026 | Keep Britain Tidy

To report fly–tipping incidents, visit:

Fly tipping | Cheshire West and Chester Council

About Keep Britain Tidy:

Keep Britain Tidy is a leading environmental charity. We set the standard for the management of parks and beaches, inspire people to be litter-free, to waste less and live more sustainably. We run campaigns and programmes including the Great British Spring Clean, Love Parks Week, Buy Nothing New Month, Eco-Schools, the Green Flag Award for parks and green spaces and the Blue Flag/ Seaside Awards for beaches.

To find out more about Keep Britain Tidy, our campaigns and programmes visit: 

www.keepbritaintidy.org