Getting rid of your junk should be simple. You call someone to remove it, they say sure, and voilà! Clean space. ✨
But lately, that “service” has come with a nasty surprise: your rubbish ends up dumped in a ditch or on someone else’s land. Say hello to the €100 million fly-tipping scam taking over Ireland.
What is fly-tipping? 🚛
In simple terms – Fly-tipping is the illegal dumping of waste. Think: bags of rubbish on the roadside, old sofas tossed into ditches etc…
A €100 million problem and growing!
So whats happening?
- Cheap “rubbish removal” operators promise to collect your waste for a small fee… and then dump it somewhere. (Ah yes, what a bargain 🙄)
- Local authorities in Ireland spend up to €100 million each year cleaning up after these scams (the money that could’ve gone to roads, schools, or even filling a few more potholes!).
Some recent examples:
- In Wexford, a residential street has turned to a rubbish magnet, with piles of rat-infested scraps piling up within meters of family homes.
- Cork has seen hundreds of oil containers dumped (plus a 5 foot high pile of junk food)
- 580 bags of rubbish have been removed from the N20
- Raw meat dumped in Gorey stream. The list goes on…
🗑️ In Ireland, roughly 37,000 tonnes of household waste is now unmanaged, meaning it’s not being disposed of through proper channels.
How the scam works 🎭
Here’s the classic play:
- Someone knocks on your door, or posts on Facebook Marketplace, pops up in an online search offering to “clear your rubbish cheap.”
- You think, “Grand, saves me a trip to the recycling center 👍.”
- They drive off with your junk.
- Hours later, that same junk is lying in a bog, a farm gate, or worse, with your name still on it, either on receipts or letters.
👉 You think you’ve saved a few euros, but if your rubbish is found dumped, you can still be prosecuted, even if you didn’t dump it yourself. This kind of illegal dumping carries a serious legal weight, with fines that can climb up to €130,000, plus the very real possibility of jail!
How to spot a rubbish removal scam 🕵️
Before handing your waste to a rubbish removal service, check for these red flags:
🚩 Red Flags to Watch For:
❌ No license shown. In Ireland, you can check carriers via the EPA.
✅ Do check: They should be registered with the NWCPO and be able to provide their licence number. You should even see this on the side of their vans or trucks.
❌ Cash only, no receipt. Translation: no paper trail.
✅ Do ask: Always get a receipt or a wire transfer note.
❌ Suspiciously cheap prices. Spoiler: if it sounds too good to be true, it is.
❌ No company name, website, or reviews. Just a van with a dodgy sticker.
✅ Do check: A quick online search for reviews or business details saves you headaches later. There are even Facebook pages and groups you can visit to check!
If it looks shady, trust your gut.
Tip: Only choose authority-approved rubbish removal services for your rubbish and clutter!
What happens if your waste is illegally dumped in Ireland⚖️
📄 Fines with your name on them: Local councils can trace rubbish back to households and businesses, leaving you facing penalties starting at €150.
🏛️ Court penalties: If things escalate, fines can climb as high as €130,000, plug legal costs
🚗 Your reputation on the line: Whether you’re a business or homeowner, if local investigators trace illegally dumped rubbish back to you, it’s your good name splashed about for all the wrong reasons! (And possibly damage your standing in the community).
Why this matters for you
You might not be the one fly-tipping, but if you hire a dodgy operator who cuts corners, you could end up liable if your rubbish is traced back to you.
That’s why booking a reputable rubbish removal service matters. The right company will provide receipts, handle disposal legally, and protect you from being caught up in someone else’s mess.
What to do if you spot illegal dumping 👀
Step one: stay safe. Don’t touch the rubbish 🚫, as it might have syringes, glass, or nastier items.
Step two: Gather info 📝
- Note the time, date, location, and what the van looks like.
- Snap a photo if you can do it safely.
Step three: Report it through 📞:
- Your local authority
- An Garda Síochána
- The EPA’s Office of Environmental Enforcement
- Call the 24-hour National Environmental Complaints Line
If the mess ends up on your land, legally you’re responsible (even if you didn’t do it).
Why are people fly-tipping so much? 🤔
Several reasons keep coming up when councils investigate:
💶 Avoiding disposal costs – simple. For those who have low enough morals, there’s good money to be made in deceiving customers. Why pay gate fees at recycling centres when you can pocket the cash.
🌲 Convenience – rather than driving to recycling centers, individuals also dump waste in the nearest hidden spots.
🙈 Lack of awareness – many don’t realize they can be fined heavily if caught. Not to mention the moral and environmental factors.
More than 10,000 fly-tipping incidents were recorded in Ireland (and it’s increasing each year) – It’s truly a national sore.
The real cost of letting rubbish removal scams slide 🌍
Turning a blind eye to shady rubbish removal stacks up costs far beyond what you see.
Nature pays the price
🌍 Pollutes soil and water when chemicals leak from waste.
🦉 Puts wildlife at risk when animals get trapped or eat hazardous materials.
🐀 Attracts vermin, which brings health concerns to nearby communities.
Communities get hit
🗑️ One pile of rubbish invites more, as people assume someone else dumped it first. (“Ah sure, someone else did it first”). And soon, what started as a few black bags can spiral into what local councilors call environmental vandalism – like the issue at Baltray Estuary.
Local budgets leak
💸 Councils spend millions each year cleaning up fly tipping. That money could fund roads, schools, or maybe a proper civic amenity center.
Fighting Back Against Ireland’s Illegal Dumping Crisis 🚮
Fly-tipping is a growing problem in Ireland.
Thankfully, communities are fighting back! Initiatives like the Pure Project in Wicklow and Dublin Uplands have hauled away over 4,100 tonnes of rubbish and logged nearly 16,000 reports of illegal dumping. Plus, local and trusted rubbish removal services like junkandwaste.ie are more accessible than ever!
Rubbish removal in Ireland: Do it right ✅
Sure, cutting corners on rubbish removal might feel like a bargain, but let’s be honest, it’s a false economy.
The hidden costs pile up fast, whether it’s polluted fields and rivers, rats running riot 🐀, or council money down the drain . And no one wants their name tied to a black bag dumped in a ditch!
The smarter move? Check for licenses, ask for a receipt, report the scams, or just book a trusted rubbish removal service and be done with it.
At the end of the day, Ireland deserves better than fly-tipped sofas and backroad dumping grounds. ☘️
Image Credits:
- Lee Milo
- The Simpsons Gif via Giphy, source
- Flytipping, geograph.org.uk via Wikimedia Commons, source
- Anastasiia Nelen
- Hannah Busing
