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The Environment Agency has launched a pilot with eight major UK landowners to identify the real extent of fly-tipping on private land. This follows initial research which has revealed that 94% of private landowners suffer from illegal dumping of waste.

Half of local landowners questioned through the Defra-funded Landowner Partnership Project* say that illegally dumped waste has become a significant concern – with some experiencing more than one hundred separate incidents in a year. With clearance costs averaging £809 per removal, the figures underline a significant problem which the Environment Agency is determined to get to grips with.

83% of landowners do not formally record incidents, often because they see no direct incentive for doing so. Under current legislation, landowners must cover the cost of removing flytipped waste in most instances**.

The Environment Agency project has been developed to help identify an effective system for accurately recording fly-tipping so that measures for tackl ing the problem can ultimately be identified. The second phase of the Landowner Partnership Project will support a pilot group of landowners with a system to record incidents on their land by size, type and location.

Half of material illegally dumped on private land is household waste, followed by construction waste and used car tyres. Harmful materials such as asbestos, chemical drugs and clinical waste present a particular problem. Clean up can be expensive and time-consuming for landowners and The Environment Agency hopes that better recording and intelligence on incidents will present the first step towards identifying new measures to support landowners in managing and reducing fly-tipping occurrences.

Gerald Lee commented: “The project ultimately aims to reduce the impact of fly-tipping on private landowners – but to do this, we need to be able to identify the scale of the problem for different landowners and advise on strategies which will work in each environment. There is no ‘one size fits all’ solution and local authorities, waste companies and trade bodies all have a role to play in informing this crucial campaign.”

For more information about the Environment Agency’s Recognise, Report, Reduce pilot visit www.report2reduce.com .