Fly-tipping

Fly‑tipping is illegal and harms local neighbourhoods, green spaces and the environment. If you see someone dumping rubbish, or discover dumped waste, you can report it online so we can investigate.

Reporting fly‑tipping helps us take action against offenders and clear waste as quickly as possible.

What counts as fly-tipping

Fly‑tipping includes dumping rubbish, household items, building waste or business waste on land without permission. This could be on roads, parks, open land or private property.

Public land

If waste is dumped on land we look after, such as roads, parks or public spaces, we will remove it and investigate. We will use any evidence available to identify and take action against those responsible.

Private land

If fly‑tipping is on private land, the landowner can choose to arrange for the waste to be removed and disposed of properly. The council cannot remove waste from private property, including gardens, backcourts and driveways.

If you own land and want advice on preventing fly‑tipping, you can visit Zero Waste Scotland’s website.

Before you report

When reporting fly‑tipping, you will be asked for:

• the location of the waste
• a description of what has been dumped and roughly how much
• any information that could help identify who dumped it, if known

You can upload photos or other evidence as part of your report.

How to report fly-tipping

You can report fly‑tipping by completing our online form at the end of this page.

For items dumped on housing land, such as council gardens or communal areas, contact your local housing office.

What happens next

If there is unlikely to be any evidence to point towards who fly tipped and the materials are on council land then it will be passed to Grounds Services who will arrange for it to be removed.

If there may be evidence to identify who has fly tipped (council or Private Land), our Enforcement Team (Environmental Crime Team) who work within Environmental Health Services will investigate using criminal skills and powers similar to those the Police have in other areas. This may include examining waste or using CCTV to gather evidence.

Penalties for fly-tipping

Fly‑tipping is a criminal offence. Offenders can be fined up to £40,000, face imprisonment, or receive a Fixed Penalty Notice of £500.