What can a Local Authority do about Illegal Dumping or Litter?

It is an offence to:

• illegally dump your waste
• give your waste to a collector that does not have a valid waste collection permit
• collect waste without a waste collection permit.

The litter laws have increased the powers of local authorities to combat the problem of illegal dumping of refuse and rubbish. If you see someone dumping illegally, you should report the matter to your local authority who will investigate and take any necessary enforcement action.

If your local authority finds material that is illegally dumped and establishes the identity of the owner of the material, that person will have a case to answer without necessarily having to be caught in the act. In addition, extra powers are also available to your local authority to require a householder or business operator to indicate how and where they are disposing of their waste. This is particularly relevant if the householder or business owner is not availing of a refuse collection service or is not bringing their waste to an authorised disposal facility.