Fly-tipping is the illegal treatment, storage or disposal of controlled waste (including burning of waste) on land that is not licensed to accept it.
This includes private gardens. Controlled waste applies to household, industrial and commercial waste.
If you think rubbish has been dumped illegally in a public area, then you can report it to us.
If the waste you are reporting is in sacks displaying the Medway Norse logo, you can report this to us as 'litter' using our street cleansing form.
Shopping trolleys
Shopping trolleys are no longer collected by Medway Council waste contractors.
Any shopping trolleys that need collecting should be
How to report fly-tipping on council-owned land
To report fly-tipping in Medway tell us:
- where the fly-tipping is happening or has happened
- what the rubbish is and the amount of it
- if known, a description of the person fly-tipping or the registration number of any vehicle that was involved (this makes it possible to trace and prosecute the fly-tippers).
What happens next
When waste is left on council-owned land, we aim to remove as soon as possible and will prioritise the removal based on location, risk, ease of removal, and available resources. Sometimes the removal will be delayed. This could be due to hazardous materials within the waste or the need to use a specialist contractor due to scale of the deposit. Please be patient while we investigate and arrange to dispose of fly-tipped waste safely.
You may be asked to make a witness statement so that we can take legal action against the offender. This may need to appear in court to give evidence. All information you provide is treated as confidential.
By providing your details you can give officers information that could prevent any recurrence. All information is useful to our investigations. By supporting our investigation and providing a statement we are more likely to secure a prosecution at court.
We may set up special surveillance in areas which are regularly fly-tipped.
Rubbish on private land
We are not able to collect rubbish that has been dumped on private land, such as a farm field, although we will still investigate.
How to report fly-tipping: video
In this short video, we explain how to report fly-tipping online and what we do when we get your report.
Do not fly-tip
Everyone has a legal responsibility to dispose of waste properly. Fly-tipping looks unsightly, can present a hazard to the public, can pollute the land and watercourses, and costs tax-payers significant amounts of money to clear it away.
All waste must be dealt with by a registered carrier or by using a disposal site that is registered with the Environment Agency. If you do not, you could be prosecuted under the Environmental Protection Act 1990. View a list of landfill sites and other waste facilities where you can take your commercial waste. You can contact the Environment Agency on 03708 506 506.
Our Fair Trader scheme offers a list of Trading Standards-accredited businesses, all of which have trade waste agreements, including companies that specialise in waste disposal.
For large or bulky items, you can book a standard collection for £26.10 or an express (quicker) collection for £47.60. We will take up to 3 items per collection which now includes certain large electrical items.
You can take your household rubbish to any of the 3 household waste and recycling centres (HWRCs). Find out how to book a visit to an HWRC.
On successful prosecution, magistrates courts can impose unlimited fines and/or imprisonment of up to 12 months. If the case is taken to crown court, the fines can be unlimited and / or a prison sentence of up to 5 years can be imposed.
Vehicle seizures for fly-tipping
Vehicles used for fly-tipping can be seized by us or the police. Find out about vehicle seizures for fly-tipping involvement, including seizure notices.