Local authorities spend an estimated £1 m per week removing 500000 fly-tips of household waste. In response to the spiralling costs, a new duty of care has been introduced under the Waste (Household Waste Duty of Care) (England and Wales) Regulations 2005 (the Waste Regulations) which came into force on 21 November 2005. A new legal obligation has effectively been established, whereby every householder in England and Wales must take reasonable measures to verify the identity of their waste collectors, or else face criminal penalities. On summary conviction, this will amount to a fine not exceeding the statutory maximum of £5000, and on conviction in indictment, an unlimited fine. These powers complement the recently introduced powers given to waste disposal authoritiess to deal with fly-tipping under the Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005.
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