How we’re tackling fly-tipping in our communities
Across a typical year, our community teams spend thousands of hours working in our neighbourhoods, driving thousands of miles across Essex to remove vast quantities of waste, bulky items, and fly-tipped material. Their work has a huge impact on our communities, fostering neighbourhood pride, and creating places where people are proud to live.
One example of this important work relates to a fly-tip discovered within a communal bin area in Maldon. Waste left on the ground had been disturbed by local wildlife, creating even more mess and impacting the appearance of the area. Our team attended as soon as they were made aware of the issue, removed the waste, and restored the communal area to a clean and safe condition for customers.
How quick action prevented escalation
One of the challenges around fly-tips is how quickly they can escalate. A small amount of waste can encourage others to add to it, and it can quickly turn into a big problem.
We visited a scheme in Chelmsford the day before its scheduled waste collection to remove a relatively small amount of side waste that could have prevented access for the refuse collection crew. However, the next morning we received reports of a large fly-tip inside the communal bin store. A substantial amount of waste and bulky items had been left there overnight, completely blocking access to the bins. This would have resulted in a missed collection.
This case shows just how quickly fly-tipping can escalate, with a manageable issue developing into a major obstruction within less than 24 hours. Luckily, our team were already working in the area, which meant we were able to respond immediately. We quickly cleared the waste, restored access for that day’s collection, and continued to monitor the area to make sure there weren’t any further incidents.
How we’re tackling ongoing waste challenges
Keeping our neighbourhoods clean and tidy isn’t just about responding to fly-tips. Sometimes, our team put special measures in place to make sure high standards are maintained across the communities.
At one of our schemes, there are ongoing issues around contaminated recycling bins. As a result, the local authority often refuses to collect this waste, leading to a build-up.
To reduce the impact on residents, we regularly visit this site as part of a scheduled programme. Our team clears the waste before it has a chance to build up, preventing the problem from getting out of hand. This makes a big difference to the neighbourhood, and makes sure the area is pleasant and safe for everyone.
The importance of prompt reporting
In many cases, our teams identify issues before they’re reported by local residents. Grounds teams and community colleagues spend time on our estates every day, and their local knowledge means they often proactively find and address problems early.
However, sometimes issues might go under the radar, and a recent example of this highlights just how quickly things can worsen if they’re not reported promptly. A customer told us about a problem at a new-build development that is still under construction. The bin area was overflowing heavily, and we discovered that a construction vehicle had been parked in a position that stopped the refuse collection vehicle from accessing the bins. This lead to a missed collection, and the issue had escalated before we’d become aware of it.
This example highlights just how quickly bin areas can deteriorate, even when fly-tipping hasn’t occurred. In this case, an access issue led to a build-up of waste, showing how important it is to report issues like missed collections promptly, so the team can deal with it before it worsens.
If you spot a fly-tip in your area, let us know on 0300 555 0500 (former CHP customers) or 0300 304 5000 (former Estuary customers). You can also find information on how to easily get rid of bulky waste on your local authority’s website.