Holly
Smith - 01-Nov-2006 - On Wednesday 1 November
2006, at 11am, the Environment Agency will unveil
our very own ‘rear of the year’ to warn people
about the need to ensure that their dirty waste
is removed by a registered waste carrier.
Thirty bus rears will be emblazoned
with filthy waste messages ‘your waste, your responsibility’
adverts encouraging drivers and pedestrians to
not gamble and risk a £5,000 fine, instead
get a registered waste carrier to dispose of their
waste properly.
These back ends of buses will
be officially unveiled at 11am by representatives
from the partner organisations. Jeff Dolby, Environment
Manager from the Environment Agency will join
Councillor Alan Graves, Cabinet Member for Leisure
and Direct Services, Councillor Pauline Latham,
Cabinet Member for Enforcement, both from Derby
City Council and Cllr. Steve Taylor, Chair of
Environmental and Development Services Committee,
South Derbyshire District Council at the ARRIVA
Bus Depot, Ascot Drive, Derby.
Jeff Dolby Environment Manager
overseeing the BREW (Business Resource Efficiency
and Waste) project said of the launch; "This
is the latest phase of the BREW project running
in Derby and South Derbyshire. These bus rears
are an excellent way of capturing the attention
of passers-by, by reminding them of their duty
to ensure a registered waste carrier takes away
their waste.
We are working with our partners,
Derby City Council and South Derbyshire District
Council, to crack down on grubby large-scale fly-tipping,
illegal waste sites and unregistered waste carriers
in the Derby and South Derbyshire area."
Speaking about the launch Councillor
Graves said: "The Council has to spend thousands
of pounds of public money every year cleaning
up illegally dumped waste. We can all help to
stop this by making sure that the waste we dispose
of doesn't end up as an eyesore on Derby's streets
or public land."
Councillor Latham added: "This
campaign supports the Council's work in safeguarding
public health and the environment. I would like
to remind people that they could face a hefty
fine if they allow someone to illegally dispose
of waste on their behalf."
Last week we sent 615 small
and medium sized businesses in Derby and South
Derbyshire free advice packs on how to dispose
of their waste correctly. The project is funded
from landfill receipts; Defra has awarded the
Environment Agency £130,000 to fight waste
crime to create a level playing field for legitimate
business and help reduce the amount of waste businesses
in Derby and South Derbyshire produce.
Notes to editors
Photo opportunity
There will be the opportunity
to take pictures of the BREW partnership team
with the Bus rears at the ARRIVA Bus Depot, Ascot
Drive, Derby, on 1 Nov 2006 at 11am. If you have
any specific media requirements please contact
Holly Smith in the press office.
What is BREW?
BREW is Defra’s Business Resource
Efficiency and Waste programme. The programme
is funded from Landfill Tax receipts. It provides
extra support for businesses on resource efficiency
and should deliver substantial financial savings
for businesses, as well as significant environmental
benefits. The Environment Agency is one of the
organisations that will deliver this programme,
receiving funding to help tackle waste crime issues.
What will the Derby/South Derbyshire
Campaign achieve?
The campaign aims to reduce
the illegal disposal of waste in Derby and South
Derbyshire and raise awareness of the support
available to enable good business practice.
This will be achieved by:
Running an advertising and communications
campaign aimed at the public and small and mediums
sized businesses.
Enforcement activities at fly-tipping
hotspots throughout Derby and South Derbyshire.
Working with other BREW delivery partners, local
authorities and waste companies to investigate
cost effective ways for small businesses to dispose
of their waste and stay within the law.
The development of a Derbyshire Fly Tipping Forum
will play a key part in this.
The project will be run by the Environment Agency
in partnership with Derby City Council, South
Derbyshire District Council and Derbyshire Constabulary.
Heavy penalties available to
punish waste crime
Businesses can be fined up to
£50,000 and could face imprisonment for
disposing of their waste illegally. Sophisticated
techniques such as surveillance cameras, roadblocks,
covert operations, automatic number plate recognition
and forensic science are being used to catch these
criminals.
Remember your ‘Duty of care’
Anyone commissioning someone
to dispose of their waste including household
waste could also face hefty fines of up to £5,000
if the person is not registered to dispose of
waste. People can now check that their waste carriers
are legally registered by log on to: www.environment-agency.gov.uk/publicregister
