In recent months, as countries have been in lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there have been many reports of the positive impact of lockdown on the environment; with images circulating of the canals in Venice being unusually clear, clear blue skies over Delhi and even our own beaches and waters, such as Blackpool Pleasure Beach being much clearer than usual.
Despite the positive impact that lockdown has had on the environment, there have unfortunately been increases in some harmful acts such as fly-tipping which has seen a 300% rise in cases.
This drastic increase can be attributed to the temporary closures of the HWRCs across the UK. Now with HWRCs being reopened as of 11th May onwards, this increase in fly-tipping activity should return to the normal level, however, with fly-tipping’s serious detriment to the environment, returning to the typical number of fly-tipping cases shouldn’t be tolerated either, particularly with the risk of COVID-19 contaminated waste being dumped.
In response to this, the NFU has released guidance on handling, reporting and disposing of fly-tipping waste with the current state and risk of COVID-19.
Check out the NFU’s guidance here.