Sheffield is renowned for being one of the most green cities in the UK. However, fly tipping is an issue which unfortunately mars the city. Not only is fly tipping unsightly, it is damaging to the environment; placing animals such as fish and woodland creatures in danger. The costly process of cleaning up discarded waste materials is of course paid for by you, the taxpayer.

Where Does The Waste Come From?
Unauthorised waste removal is the main cause of this problem. People that offer to take your rubbish away for a cut price are often responsible for dumping it in secluded areas like the one I visited recently. The woods are full of wildlife and are located right next to a local waterway. These photographs were taken whilst walking my 2 dogs, and as you can see the amount of junk that has been carelessly dumped is appalling.

The items most commonly found fly tipped include:

• Tyres
• Fridges
• Mattresses
• Construction / garden waste
• Plastic stripped from electric cable (after thieves have removed the valuable copper)
• Everyday, household waste

How to avoid your items being fly tipped.
Waste material costs approximately £95 per tonne to dispose of in the correct manner, so if someone is offering to take a van full for £20 it is highly likely that your waste is being illegally tipped. We all have a responsibility to preserve our towns and cities but by funding this practice, we are allowing certain individuals to ruin our environment.

If you are paying a company or individual to remove your unwanted items you should always be issued with a waste transfer note detailing the type and approximate volume of your rubbish. You should also receive a waste carriers license number on completion of the disposal, if you do not then this is a good sign that the people in question are operating illegally, and as such should be reported to your local authorities.