Please find below information I have received today about a new scheme to reduce fly tipping:
"Dear Councillor
We are delighted to announce the launch of the Leeds Accredited Waste Carrier Scheme (LAWCS) that’s aimed at helping Leeds residents find someone local, legal and responsible to take away their waste. The driver for the scheme is to reduce fly tipping and protect residents from falling victim to rogue traders, as well as helping professionalise the market.
The list of accredited waste carriers can be found on the easy to use Leeds Directory website at www.leedsdirectory.org/lawcs and by using the scheme the public can be safe in the knowledge that they are fulfilling their legal duty of care as all accredited waste carriers are licensed by the Environment Agency.
By providing a list of waste removal services checked by the Serious Environmental Crime Team (SECT), the scheme also seeks to shrink the social media marketplace for illegal waste carriers that contribute to fly tipping. SECT undertake background checks including intelligence shared from the police and other local authorities, before the waste carrier is given ‘accredited’ status. This will also help professionalise some of the smaller carriers to provide comprehensive waste transfer receipts and support them to recycle as much of the waste collected as they can.
LAWCS membership is free for waste carriers who pass the checks and provides benefits including:
- A profile on the Leeds Directory with a stars rating and review to help others find reliable waste removal services
- An “I’m Accredited” toolkit to stand out from the competition, including vehicle stickers, social media templates and a good practice waste transfer receipt template
- Access to environmental regulatory advice from SECT
- The option to gain ‘Green Tick’ compliance from the Leeds Directory, with enhanced criminal record checks offering extra reassurance to the public
The scheme will be formally launched later this month and will include a campaign to highlight what fly tipping is, how it occurs and how the public can help by accessing waste removal services like bulky collections or LAWCS. However, the scheme is live at the moment with over 20 waste carriers signed up and is available now for the public to use."
