Fly-tipping campaign hailed a success

A drive to tackle fly-tipping and clean up Carmarthenshire has been hailed a success.
More than four tonnes of rubbish was removed and two people were fined for throwing litter during the week-long ‘Total Focus’ campaign.
Various awareness-raising activities were held throughout the week from litter-picks to community skip days and waste carrier stop-checks.
The Fly-tipping Action Wales initiative included Carmarthenshire County Council, Keep Wales Tidy, Dyfed-Powys Police, Environment Agency Wales, Tidy Towns, Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service and Llwynhendy Communities First.
‘Bring and Take’ community skip days were held in Heol y Gelynen in Brynaman; Park Hall in Carmarthen, Caecoed in Llandybie and at the 5 Ty’s in Llanelli. Householders could take along any unwanted items in good condition to ‘swap’ as well as get rid of other household rubbish in the skips provided. More than four tonnes of rubbish was disposed of with as much as possible being recycled. Fly-tipping Action Wales and Tidy Towns officers were also on hand to give advice on how to dispose of waste legally, responsibly and safely. A ‘Recycling on the go’ event was also held in Nantgaredig for residents to take along unwanted household waste to be recycled/disposed of.
Council housing and Fly-tipping Action Wales officers teamed up with Llwynhendy Communities First to doorknock homes in the Llwynhendy area again to give advice on waste issues and warn them that if their rubbish is found fly-tipped they could get fined.
A ‘bacon butty’ event took place at Cross Hands Industrial Estate and 14 Registered Waste Carrier Licence application forms were given out. Fly-tipping Action Wales officers spoke to 26 different builders to explain the Duty of Care regulations and the need to be Registered Waste Carriers if they carry construction and demolition waste on the roads.
The council’s promotional trailer was set up in Cross Hands Co-op car park with information and advice for residents and two litter-picks were carried out at the business park with volunteers from Keep Wales Tidy and staff from McDonald’s restaurants in Cross Hands, Carmarthen and Llanelli. In total, 50 bags of litter were removed with more than half recycled.
McDonald’s franchisee Ron Mounsey said: “Litter is unsightly and it causes a damaging affect on our environment. I feel it’s important my colleagues and I do our bit to stop litter blighting the area and help restore those places in need of a clean-up. The litter pick will help to raise awareness that littering is unacceptable. We’ve all got a responsibility and I think if we all contribute to tackling the problem then litter can be reduced in our community.”
The council’s environmental enforcement officers teamed up with Carmarthen’s Neighbourhood Policing Team for an evening operation to target anti-social behaviour in relation to littering and driving. Two fixed penalty notices for £75 were issued to a 21-year-old at Park Hall and an 18-year-old at McDonlad’s. Both were caught throwing cigarette ends onto the ground. A 16-year-old was also caught throwing a plastic bottle into a hedge at the McDonald’s drive-thru. The matter has been referred to the council’s anti-social behaviour co-ordinator and a warning letter will now be sent home.
Norma Green, project officer for Fly-tipping Action Wales in the Valleys Regional Park, said: “The total focus event has been a real success thanks to the involvement of all partners and McDonald’s who have all provided man hours to support this joint campaign.
“It costs over £2 million each year to clean-up fly-tipping across Wales. The Valleys Regional Park is an area of great beauty and we cannot allow some people to blight our communities.
“We want to make people all over Carmarthenshire aware that fly-tipping is a crime and we all have a responsibility to make sure that our waste is disposed of legally and safely. If you’re using a tradesperson, we urge you to make sure that they’re a registered waste carrier with the Environment Agency.”
Fly-tipping Action Wales is working with nine local authorities across South Wales through the Valleys Regional Park project, which is funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) through the Welsh Government.
Carmarthenshire County Council’s Executive Board Member for the Environment Cllr Philip Hughes said: “It is vital residents only use licensed waste carriers to dispose of any excess household waste; if they don’t and their waste is found fly-tipped they could be prosecuted and fined.
“There are a number of sites throughout the county for household waste and recycling and the council also has a bulky waste collection service, so there really is no excuse.
“The council is committed to tackling fly-tipping and by working together with our partners we can improve the quality of the environment in Carmarthenshire for both residents and visitors.”
For further information on your nearest Household Waste Recycling Centre, for a bulky waste collection or to report a fly-tipped incident call Carmarthenshire Direct on 01267 234567 or visit www.carmarthenshire.gov.uk
You can find registered waste carriers in your area by visiting www.environment-agency.gov.uk or calling the Environment Agency on 08708 506 506.
For further information on the work of the partnership in the Valleys Regional Park, a project funded by the European Development Fund (ERDF) through the Welsh Government, visit www.flytippingactionwales.org