The Hull City Council made an example out of a fly-tipper, or illegal dumper, who had been caught illegally dumping construction waste in public.
According to a Hull City Council report, a large amount of construction waste was found littered in the little alleyway behind the D&S Specks convenience store on World Road, Hull earlier this year in January. While the city immediately cleaned up the mess, an environmental enforcement officer launched an investigation into the persons responsible for the illegal dumping. They found a clue in the litter.
The construction waste contained "a distinctive building product," read the City Council report, that led the investigator to a local DIY supplier, identified as Rafal Lukasczyk, 47, of Leonard Street — a less than 10-minute drive from the scene of the crime.
In August, Lucasczyk pleaded guilty to violating the Environmental Protection Act 1990, which governs proper management and disposal of household waste. The Hull Magistrates' Court handed Lucasczyk a 12-month conditional discharge and fined him a total of £690, or about $911, payable to the Hull City Council.
"There's absolutely no excuse for fly-tipping," said councillor Charles Quinn, per the City Council report.
Fly-tipping, or illegal dumping, leaves public city streets unsightly and unusable. Although illegal dumpers tend to leverage less frequented areas as their personal landfills, these roads, such as the tiny alleyway behind the D&S Specks store, are still for public use and become inoperable by those who need to use them.
Perk up the winter blues with natural, hemp-derived gummies Camino's hemp-derived gummies naturally support balance and recovery without disrupting your routine, so you can enjoy reliable, consistent dosing without guesswork or habit-forming ingredients. Flavors like sparkling pear for social events and tropical-burst for recovery deliver a sophisticated, elevated taste experience — and orchard peach for balance offers everyday support for managing stress while staying clear-headed and elevated.
Learn more → |
The city then spends an unnecessary amount of the taxpayers' money to clean up the trash, wasting funds that could have been spent elsewhere to improve the city.
Dumped trash — particularly construction waste — also poses environmental hazards because toxic building materials may contaminate natural resources, such as the soil or water, which poses a safety hazard to local wildlife. These toxic materials should be disposed of properly to avoid environmental damage.
In Great Yarmouth, a British man was fined £1,000 (about $1,300) for illegally dumping household furniture on the side of a road. Another British man was caught improperly disposing of roof sheets containing high levels of asbestos on the side of the road.
There are better alternatives to carelessly dumping trash on public roads.
TCD Picks » Upway Spotlight
💡Upway makes it easy to find discounts of up to 60% on premium e-bike brands
|
Should companies be required to help recycle their own products?
Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. |
Definitely 👍 Some organizations will reward you for decluttering your home when you send your old and unwanted belongings to them. For example, Trashie will take back all your old clothes and textile fibers for resale or recycling, earning you points or rewards toward your next purchase. Best Buy's mail-in electronic recycling program takes old electronics off your hands, diverting unwanted tech from the landfills.
Although fly-tipping seems to be an unfortunate trend, successful prosecutions of these fly-tipping offenders warn others to think twice before dumping.
"This prosecution sends a clear message that we will not tolerate fly-tipping," Quinn said, per the Hull City Council report.
Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Cool Picks
