Fly-tipping and Littering

Our Enforcement Team is responsible for dealing with litter and illegal waste in the district.

It is an offence to drop and leave litter in any open or public space.

Littering

Littering is one of the most common environemental problems in the UK. General rubish like paper, cans or bottles.

There is no official definition, but it usually means any rubbish that has been thrown away in the wrong place, such as:

General rubbish like paper, cans or bottles left in a public area. Always put your rubbish in a bin and never drop it.
Cigarette butts. Always put them out and place them in a bin. Never throw them out of a car window.

Fly-tipping

Sometimes people bring waste in a vehicle and dump it on land or at the side of the road. This is called fly-tipping or illegal dumping. It can be small or large amounts of waste. Fly-tipping harms the environment, spoils our landscape and is costly to remove. It is a criminal offence to dump waste illegally.

Fixed Penalty Notices and Fines

The Council is responsible for dealing with litter and small cases of fly-tipping. If you drop litter or dump waste in a public place, you can get an £80 fine.

If you do not pay the fine, the Council may take you to court. This could lead to a fine of up to £2,500 for littering or fly-tipping offences.

To tell us about littering or fly-tipping in your area, contact our Enforcement Team:
T: 0330 137 4047
E: ehealth@nmandd.org

Council’s New Advertising Campaign to Tackle Littering

Newry, Mourne and Down District Council is currently working in partnership with Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful on a new public awareness campaign to tackle the issue of littering in our district.

The ‘This is a Disgrace’ campaign has been developed by Live Here, Love Here Through partnership working and ‘one voice’ messaging across a strong variety of media channels such as social media, online adverts and PR this campaign aims to build strong relationships with residents. The puppet character delivers memorable messages in relation to ‘littering and fixed penalties’ and appeals to all age ranges, raising awareness and driving the behaviour change we all need in our communities.

Figures from the Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA) show that the cost associated with fly-tipping removal for the year 2019/20 was £186,660, however the true total is significantly higher as this does not include the amount of money each of the 11 local councils spend on small scale clean-ups. Last Year Newry Mourne and Down Council spent approximately £2,000,000 keeping streets and roads clean in our District. Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful publish an Annual Report detailing the problems and costs associated with Littering, in Northern Ireland. To view the latest report please click here.

Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a significant increase in fly-tipping, illicit dumping and littering incidents being investigated throughout the district by the Council’s Enforcement Team.

From April 2020-March 2021, there were 1139 incidents recorded by Council compared to 787 incidents in the previous year which indicates a 45% rise in incidents a single year!

Don’t be a Litterbug—Take your Litter home – Keep Our District Beautiful!

Managing Your Waste

Everyone is responsible for dealing with their waste in the right way.

If you have extra waste from your home, you can bring it to your nearest Household Recycling Centre (HRC). You can also book a bulky waste collection with the Council. For further information please click here.

For a list of all our HRC’s in the district please click here.

If you pay someone to take your waste, ask where they will bring it. Also ask for proof that it was disposed of legally. If your waste is dumped illegally, you could receive a fine.

What you can do about Littering or Illegally Discarded Waste

If you see illegally discarded waste, don't:

Touch the waste because there might be contaminated waste, syringes, broken glass, asbestos, toxic chemicals or other hazardous substances
Disturb the site in case there's evidence that could identify the offenders and lead to their prosecution

You should:

Try to work out what the waste is and how much there is
Note the day, date and time you saw the waste
Note the waste's exact location and whether it is in or near water
Take a photograph and report this information to our Enforcement Team: T: 0330 137 4047 E: ehealth@nmandd.org

If you see Someone Littering or Fly-tipping

If you're nearby when someone is littering or fly-tipping, you should note:

How many people are involved and what they look like
What they dropped or tipped - how much and what it looks like
Information about the vehicles they use including the make, colour and registration number
Report this information to Council’s Enforcement Team: T: 0330 137 4047 E: ehealth@nmandd.org

Report Waste Crime

Dumping or burning waste in the wrong place is a crime. Letting someone else dump waste on your land is also a crime.

The PSNI and officers from the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs can stop, search and seize vehicles they believe are being used for illegal waste dumping.

You can report illegal waste activity to the Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA) Enforcement Branch by clicking here.

Associated Legislation:

Useful Links:

Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs: Waste Regulation www.daera-ni.gov.uk/articles/regulatory-guidance

Live Here Love Here: https://www.liveherelovehere.org

Contact Us

For further information please contact our Waste and Enforcement Department on 0330 137 4047 or email: ehealth@nmandd.org