Yellow sacks used to target fly tippers in Epping Forest
Bright yellow sacks are being used by Environment Enforcement Officers
Bright yellow sacks are being used by Environmental Enforcement Officers to highlight waste that is being investigated at fly-tips on estates across Epping Forest District.
The council says the purpose of the sacks is to "send a message" to residents that fly tipped waste can be traced and "will almost certainly lead to enforcement action."
In Epping Forest, the current maximum fixed penalty notice for fly-tipped domestic waste it £1,000. Yet, if taken to prosecution, then courts can issue unlimited fines and and potentially up to 5 years imprisonment.
Enforcement officers are working with the council's estate management team to clamp down on the issue.
They say that following a tip off officers visited a known hot-spot and identified multiple pieces of evidence linked to an address on the estate.
As part of the investigation the new yellow sacks were used to highlight that the waste had been examined and was being investigated.
Cllr Darshan Sunger, Portfolio Holder for Public Protection and Environment, said:
"These new yellow sacks are a visible deterrent and engagement tool in tackling fly-tipping.
"We want to send a message to everyone in the district that this council has a zero-tolerance approach to fly tipping in our communities."