BRITS will no longer have to pay to take DIY rubbish to the tip under government plans to stop fly-tipping.
The charges – such as £10 to dump a sheet of plasterboard and £4 for a bag of rubble – will be scrapped in England and Wales as early as next month.
1
It means those undertaking at-home improvements could save hundreds of pounds.
Backdoor charges for individuals disposing of household rubbish at waste centres were banned in 2015, but costs still apply for certain types of DIY refuse.
Currently, around a third of councils charge a “rubbish tax”, with prices starting at a couple of quid.
But some local authorities, such as Buckinghamshire Council, demand up to £20 for items including taps, boilers and fence posts.
However, the proposed changes, published for consultation today, will see an end to all charges.
They are being introduced in a fresh attempt to crack down on fly-tipping, of which there were 1.1 million cases in England alone last year.
The crime, which has increased dramatically during the pandemic, costs up to £392million a year.
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) said the “DIY activities” exempt from charges included “the householder tiling a kitchen, plumbing in a sink, plastering a room, building and installing shelving, building a raised bed for a garden”.
Most read in The Sun
But it will only be free to dispose of waste from such building work if done by individual householders and not tradesmen.
Environment Minister Jo Churchill said: “When it comes to fly-tipping, enough is enough.
“These appalling incidents cost us £392m a year and it is time to put a stop to them.
“I want to make sure that recycling and the correct disposal of rubbish is free, accessible and easy for householders.
“No one should be tempted to fly-tip or turn to waste criminals and rogue operators.”
A Defra spokesperson confirmed the changes were expected to come into force “in the 2022 to 2023 financial year”.
DIY waste that will be free to take to the tip
- Soil (£3 to £4 per bag)
- Rubble (£3 to £4 per bag)
- Plasterboard (£6 to £10 per sheet)
- Paving slabs (£3 to £4 per bag)
- Toilet bowls and cisterns (£6 to £13 each)
- Baths or shower trays (£4 to £13 each)
- Roofing felt (£3 to £4 per bag)
