I always look forward to my visits to Berkshire, first recognized by the Queen in 1957 on account of it hosting Windsor Castle. An ancient document suggests the name comes from the Celtic word Bearroc meaning a hill covered with box trees. Fly tipping in Berkshire is ruining some of those hardy trees that have survived.
It’s really sad the way progress is desecrating this green and lovely place. I accept it is natural for our growing population to need more road and housing estates. However, it really breaks my heart to come across dumping in beauty spots. I just can’t understand how people can treat unspoiled nature this way.
Trash and debris in Bread and Cheese Creek (Image Concerned Citizen Group)
People Fly Tipping in Berkshire Beware – They Will Catch You Out
West Berkshire has a no-nonsense approach towards fly tipping in its jurisdiction. It asks people to report incidents so it can prosecute. Perpetrators face fines of up to £50,000, or five years’ imprisonment if convicted. However, the land owner is responsible for removing the rubbish and it could lie there for years.
Newbury today reported a particularly unpleasant incident in April. An entire truck load of trash, including building rubble completely locked a country lane. The waste manager at the council said: ‘In West Berkshire, we take considerable pride in the beauty of our natural environment.
‘Sadly, we do get a few residents and tradespeople who sometimes fly-tip and litter, spoiling the countryside for everybody. The council takes a dim view of this behaviour, and will use all available enforcement. Including issuing fixed penalty notices and pursuing offenders through criminal courts to stop this from happening.’
A Separate Incident of Fly Tipping in Berkshire (Image Concerned Citizen Group)
Why Fly Tipping is a Serious Offence in United Kingdom
Many of the products we find strewn across the English countryside are made from non-renewable materials. There is therefore an imperative to recycle them into new purposes when we no longer need them. Moreover, recycling often uses considerably less energy than extracting fresh material from the earth.
Those images we show of fly tipping in Berkshire therefore represent a double tragedy. For they are not only spoiling our countryside heritage. It is crass stupidity to dump reusable materials, instead of taking them to a recycling yard. I just can’t comprehend this thoughtlessness as we enter an era of warming and climate change.
What the Law Says About this Thoughtless Behaviour
The Environmental Protection Act of 1990 (EPA) lays down a series of sanctions for illegal dumping. It defines this as ‘Depositing, knowingly causing or knowingly permitting the deposit of controlled waste or extractive waste on land without, or other than in accordance with, an environmental permit’
Sanctions include escalating criminal warnings, formal cautions, and prosecutions. And also civil stop notices for repeat offenders. The law applies to fly tippers, dumpers, vehicle drivers, business householders, and anybody else obstructing the intentions of the law. Moreover Berkshire local authorities go out of their way to provide legal methods for disposal.
The Responsible Alternative to Dumping (Image West Berkshire Council)
There are Abundant Alternatives to Fly Tipping in Berkshire
Preparing unwanted goods and materials for recycling is a pleasant, constructive activity, once we start thinking proactively. It’s a simple matter of putting the different types in separate containers, instead of dumping everything in the dustbin.
COMPOST WHAT YOU CAN
Composting is a natural process of recycling organic matter. Fruit and vegetable peelings, and waste recycle regularly into valuable, soil-like fertilizer. Using this instead of chemical alternatives is not only a responsible saving. The natural way often produces healthier plants.
SEPARATE THE REST OF THE KITCHEN WASTE
Use different coloured bins – the local council may be able to help – to sort into paper / card, glass, plastic and metal to speed up processing at the local recycling depot. You don’t have to wash food containers, although this discourages insects and rodents and is arguably the decent thing to do.
Recycling Kitchen Waste the Decent Thing (Image Smabs Sputzer)
PUT LARGER OBJECTS OUT SEPARATELY
Ask your local Council for advice regarding building rubble, old furniture, broken lawnmowers and all the other detritus of modern living. They may be able to collect it for a small fee. Otherwise find a commercial service that will dispose of it responsibly at a council-approved site in return for a fee.
Avery Associates Assists With Clearing Houses and Flats
Avery Associates provides a cost effective service for clearing houses and flats. You may have this requirement now, if you are attending to a deceased estate, buying down to a smaller home, or tidying up the living space of a compulsive hoarder.
We’ll gladly assist with turning unwanted items into cash, and disposing of the rest responsibly in accordance with council rules. As one happy customer said, ‘Avery is the smart alternative to fly tipping in Berkshire’.
Review by Another Happy Customer
You have done an excellent job, given that you had very little time. Brenda and I do appreciate how much you have done and feel it is really kind of you to offer to remove any rubbish she finds. We have everything now to sort, but the house is in a much better state so that we can ask friends to help without worrying about their safety. Thanks for being so understanding with her (Sally Thompson)
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