Fife’s free bulky uplift scheme leads to four-fold rise in requests – but fly-tipping goes on

The latest update was given to councillors at Levenmouth Area Committee today when councillors were told that the the local authority has gone handling 14,000 bulky uplifts last year to 55,000 this year

Sandy Anderson, Fife’s domestic waste and street cleansing service manager, said: “There has been no decrease in fly tipping, which is part of the reason for making [the bulky uplift scheme] free rather than the previous £15 charge, in the hope it would reduce fly tipping,” Mr Anderson said.

The council rolled out its scheme last April when uplift charges were scrapped in an effort to reduce fly tipping around the Kingdom, and also to relieve pressures on recycling centres.

The scheme has been successful from a recycling aspect - Mr Anderson told councillors that 59% of everything collected was recyclable. However, from a fly tipping aspect, Mr Anderson said there had been no decreases.

“I never believed that it would help because I think fly tipping is caused predominantly by businesses rather than householders,” Mr Anderson said. “When we see the types of fly tipped waste it’s unscrupulous people who are not willing to pay gate fees at landfill sites rather than domestic waste.”

Regardless, Mr Anderson said his service is keeping pace with demand. More information about the successes and failures of the bulky uplift scheme are to be presented to the environment, transportation and climate change scrutiny committee in two weeks time.