Waste enforcement
Enforcement officers patrol the borough day and night. Their responsibilities include:
- Educating residents and businesses about their waste disposal duties and responsibilities.
- Investigating reports of dumped rubbish, identify where it has come from and who has dumped it.
- Enforcing waste related legislation by issuing penalties and prosecuting individuals and organisations found to be responsible for fly-tipping.
Read our Waste Management Enforcement Policy for more information about what our officers do and what actions we can take.
Reporting information for enforcement against fly-tippers
If you see someone dumping rubbish and are willing to provide a witness statement, please contact us:
Email: flytipwitness@wandsworth.gov.uk
Phone: 020 8734 3032
Witness statements should include as much of the following information as possible:
- The time, date and location of the fly-tip
- A vehicle registration number and description
- A description and/or names and addresses of the people involved
- Photographs and/or video footage
Do not put yourself or others at risk to get evidence about fly-tippers. Any information given will be treated with the strictest confidence.
The offences we investigate
- Fly-tipping on open land anywhere in the borough
- Dropping litter in a street or open public place
- Leaving refuse on the public highway without authorisation (where a premise has a front garden or forecourt, there will not usually be a good reason to leave it on the public highway)
- Failure to provide details of commercial refuse collection/disposal arrangements
- Failure to store waste securely, resulting in waste spillage
- Failure to comply with our waste regulations
- Breach of street trading licence conditions
- Trading on or near a street without a street trading licence
Taking action
Appropriate action is taken when evidence of an offence is found. Action can range from a verbal or written warning, the issue of a fixed penalty notice, penalty charge notice or, in more serious cases, prosecution.
Penalties for littering
We have the power to issue an instant £150 Fixed Penalty Notice (FPN) to anyone seen dropping litter in a public place. We can issue a £100 Penalty Charge Notice (PCN) to the registered keeper of a vehicle involved in littering.
Not paying an FPN within 14 days is liable to result in criminal prosecution. Not paying a PCN within 28 days is liable to result in civil recovery action being taken.
Dropping cigarettes is classed as littering. To avoid penalties, use litter bins with built-in ashtrays.
Make an online payment for a FPN or PCN.
Penalties for fly-tipping
We have the power to fine or prosecute people who dump rubbish in the street and our enforcement officers now have the power to issue £400 on the spot fixed penalty notices for fly-tipping.
Not paying an FPN within 14 days is liable to result in criminal prosecution.
If convicted the maximum penalty at court for fly-tipping is unlimited fine and/or imprisonment.
Vehicles used for fly-tipping can be seized and destroyed, and convicted offenders may be required to do community service.
Make an online payment for a FPN.