A Manchester couple has been fined £1,360 after being found guilty of incorrectly disposing of their waste in breach of their Duty of Care obligations.

Mr Zeeshan Hanif and his wife Iram Mansoor, both of Forshaw Avenue, Manchester, pleaded guilty to the charges at Stockport Magistrates Court on Monday (12 August).

Although Hanif and Mansoor had not actively dumped the waste themselves, the rubbish ended up fly-tipped on Haigh Park, Whitehill Industrial Estate in Stockport, and was subsequently reported to Stockport Council’s Neighbourhood Service on 5 February 2019.

An officer investigated the site where the waste had been fly-tipped and obtained evidence leading back to the couple, resulting in the pair being charged in relation to their Duty of Care, contrary to Section 34 Environmental Protection Act 1990.

Mr Hanif, a builder by trade, claims he passed the waste – a combination of building material, carpet and black bags of household waste – onto a man in a white van to dispose of, without checking that the man he passed the waste to was a registered waste carrier. He was unable to provide further information about the man to Council Enforcement Officers upon questioning.

Fly-tipping is particularly prevalent in the Greater Manchester area, with up to 144 incidents of improper waste disposal every day. However ,waste crime is an issue across the country, costing local authorities tens of millions of pounds each year clearing illegally dumped rubbish, and increasing steps are being taken to crack down on fly-tipping.

In January 2019, a new law was introduced, stating that any householder who fails to find a licensed carrier for their waste, and whose waste therefore ends up being fly-tipped or otherwise illegally disposed of, will be found liable and could face fines.

Mr Hanif and Mrs Mansoor were each fined £250 plus costs of £400 and a Victim Surcharge of £30 each – a total of £1,360.

Duty of Care

With the rise of adverts across social media in particular, residents and businesses may unwittingly be passing their household or industrial waste onto rogue traders and could be at risk of being fined for breaching Duty of Care laws.

It is important to confirm that anyone offering to dispose of waste is a registered waste carrier – this can be checked online on the Environment Agency’s public register or you can ask for the person in question’s waste carrier number and ring the Environment Agency direct on 03708 506 506.

Council Officers advise residents to make a note of the waste carrier’s vehicle details and registration.