SOT Council crackdown on residents dumping bagged waste
Stoke-on-Trent City Council is reminding residents they are able to leave additional black bags next to their collection point on bin collection days only.
Any bagged side waste must only be presented alongside bins no earlier than 7pm on the evening before your collection and no later than 6am on the day of your collection.
This comes after the city council has seen numerous examples of, what is perceived by residents as ‘legitimate’ bagged side waste, being left out for days in advance of the scheduled bin collection day – this is illegal dumping.
This illegal dumping attracts further dumping, rats and other animals and the contents of the bags are soon strewn across a wide area causing health and safety issues for residents.
Anything left for collection other than bagged side waste, such as mattresses, head-boards, fridges, car tyres, high-chairs, unwanted children’s toys, tree branches, wardrobes, bicycles, ironing boards, TVs… (anything that isn’t tied off in normal-sized refuse sack) constitutes illegal dumping.
Councillor Amjid Wazir, cabinet member for environment and enforcement said: “This message is another positive step in tackling the issue our neighbourhoods face each day. We want residents to take pride in where they live, and it starts with eradicating illegal dumping.
“It is simple, if it can’t fit in a normal-sized refuse sack, it can’t be taken by our refuse collectors. If it is left out days in advance of the collection day, it will be treated as illegal dumping and a fixed penalty notice will be issued.
“We know the majority of dumped waste is coming from residents, but we can’t do it all. Clearing illegally dumped rubbish comes at a cost to the taxpayer. We need residents to take ownership and know illegal dumping is a crime which blights their own communities and the environment.”
You can report fly-tipping here: https://www.stoke.gov.uk/info/20050/problems_in_my_neighbourhood/604/fly-tipping
Bin collection days can be found here: https://www.stoke.gov.uk/homepage/121/bin_day_calendar_view