Waste and recycling
Walsall Council takes action against fly-tipping: environmental crime scene project in full swing
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Walsall Council has taken a proactive stance against environmental crime with its latest initiative targeting fly-tipping across the borough. As part of its ongoing efforts, the council recently conducted visits to three key sites - Whitehouse Road, Essex Street, and Goscote Lodge - to assess and address various instances of illegal waste dumping.
The diverse nature of the fly-tipping incidents encountered underscores the complexity of the challenge faced by the council's dedicated team. Negotiating not only the waste itself but also the diverse terrains posed significant hurdles in their mission to combat this issue effectively.
The Environmental Crime Scene project, launched in February 2023 in collaboration with One Palfrey Big Local, represents a groundbreaking approach to tackling fly-tipping. By treating fly-tipped areas as crime scenes, the initiative aims to visually deter further illegal dumping activities while highlighting the gravity of such offenses.
The project has seen a removal rate of crime-scene evidence by residents of 43% increase to 73% in the worst affected wards. Removal rates for black bagged waste by residents currently sits at only 16% showing a need for the continuation of this project.
“ I commend the hard work that has gone into the Environmental Crime Scene project. It's been a real eye-opener, but I really enjoyed seeing how well the team deals with these real-life challenges, and I am immensely proud of everything we have achieved so far. This has emphasised the importance of swift action in addressing fly-tipping incidents, there is a real need to prevent backlogs, and this has highlighted significance of collaboration in combating these environmental crimes. The impact of the environmental crime scene initiative has been exceptional. We hope that the clean-up efforts and vigilant monitoring can provide sustained cleanliness throughout the borough. “
Residents of Walsall are encouraged to play their part in the fight against fly-tipping by reporting any incidents to flytipping@walsall.gov.uk or by visiting the council's dedicated webpage: https://go.walsall.gov.uk/apply/myaccount-online-services/report-fly-tip.
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