Appeal to residents after sharp increase in fly tipped fridges

Mansfield District Council is appealing to householders to dispose of old fridges at recycling centres after a significant rise in the number of white goods that are fly-tipped in the district.

The council investigated 1,914 fly-tipping incidents in 2014/15, including 101 incidents of white goods – up from just four such incidents in 2012/3.

Coun Mick Barton, Portfolio Holder for Public Protection at Mansfield District Council, said: “It is really important that people are careful about how and who they use to dispose of rubbish because the council will take action – including prosecutions – against anyone who can be linked to fly-tipping and this could be a householder who may not even be directly responsible for it

“This is a growing and costly problem for the authority which could be reduced if people disposed of their rubbish responsibly.”

Of the 1,914 investigated incidents, 1,060 were cleared by the authority’s cleansing department at a cost of £48,956. The total figure investigated included 854 on private land, which the council has no duty of responsibility to clear.

The sharp increase in the fly-tipping of white goods is thought to be due to changes in the rules for the disposal of fridges leading to many scrapyards refusing to take them. Old fridges left out on pavements for scrap dealers to take away are now often stripped of the parts that are sellable leaving the rest dumped for the council to clear up.

To arrange for collections of bulky items from your home, email Mansfield District Council at [email protected] or call 01623 463463. To find out where your nearest recycling centre is.