Fly-tipping
Fly-tipping is when waste is dumped illegally on public and private land instead of being disposed of properly.
The size of a fly-tip can vary from one bag of rubbish, a mattress or television, to several van loads of building and garden waste. It is also illegal to allow someone to dump rubbish on your land if it is not licensed to receive waste.
Fly-tipping is a serious environmental problem and can pollute the land it is on and any nearby waterways. Fly-tips make an area look neglected and spoilt, they also attract vermin such as rats and other pests.
What we do
Our Environmental Monitoring Officers and our Environmental Crime Enforcement Officers patrol the borough daily to report any fly-tips on public land to our contractor. They are investigated and then removed as soon as possible so that they do not cause a nuisance or danger.
Our Environmental Crime Enforcement Officers conduct stop-and-search operations with the Police to identify anyone carrying waste that is unlicensed. They also investigate any reports of vehicles being used for fly-tipping. If you use a vehicle to fly-tip, both the driver and the owner of the vehicle can be prosecuted. The Police also have the power to seize any vehicle used for fly-tipping.
Anyone caught fly-tipping in Lambeth will be prosecuted. Our Environmental Crime Enforcement Officers will refer the case to court, where you could be fined up to £50,000 in magistrates' courts, an unlimited amount of fines in crown courts, as well as community punishment orders or prison sentences of up to 5 years.
What you can do
Report any rubbish that has been dumped. The sooner you report it, the sooner we can remove it.
Call us at the Service Centre on 020 7926 9000, email streetcarecallcentre@lambeth.gov.uk or use our online dumped rubbish reporting form.
If rubbish has been dumped on a housing estate, please contact your housing office. Rubbish that has been dumped on private land cannot be removed by Lambeth Council.
You can dispose of your household wast properly by using our recycling and refuse services.
We offer a bulky waste collection service if you need to get rid of any bulky waste. You will need to pay a fee to use the service. Go to our bulky and special collections page for more information.
You should also make sure that you use an authorised waste carrier when you are using a company to dispose of waste for you, for example if you are doing home improvements. See our section on authorised waste carriers below for more details.
Disposing of your business waste
If you are a business, you have certain obligations under the law to prevent fly-tipping from occurring. You are required to manage the storage, transport and disposal of your waste properly.
For more information please go to our commercial waste and recycling pages.
Using a van for bulky waste
For large amounts of bulky waste, you can obtain a tip clearance letter from us that will allow you to take two van loads of waste free of charge to either Smugglers Way or Cringle Dock.
To get a tip clearance letter please visit our office between 9am and 5pm, Monday to Friday. Our office is located at:
Service Team House
185-205 Shakespeare Road
London SE24 0PZ
You will need to come with your loaded van so that we are able to inspect the contents. We will also need proof that you are a Lambeth resident.
Authorised waste carriers
Unfortunately, a lot of fly-tipping is caused by rogue waste disposal companies who will take your waste without being legally allowed to do so. All companies who carry waste, or dispose of it for you, need to be registered with the Environment Agency as an Authorised Waste Carrier.
You can be fined if do not use an authorised person to dispose of your waste. When getting rid of any household waste, you need to check that the company you are using is licensed to carry it, this includes building waste and any builders you may have hired who take it away from your home.