Fly-tipping has become a scourge through the pandemic with one Scots council having to deal with 602 incidents last year.
More than a third of them were in Nithsdale with 152 reported in Annandale and Eskdale, 140 in the Stewartry and 86 in Wigtownshire, all Dumfries and Galloway.
Council officials are still taking calls about rubbish dumped illegally in the countryside and in lay-bys – including the M74 through Annandale – despite the recycling and waste services operating during this lockdown.
A council spokesperson said: “Regular household waste collections are continuing to be made each week throughout the region.
“We urge people to use these to dispose of appropriate waste and not fly tip.”
All of the region’s household waste recycling centres are currently open with a pre-booking system.
The council said that most vehicles are permitted at the sites and residents can also attend via public transport, bicycle or on foot.
However, they can’t accommodate larger plant vehicles and tractors to dispose of household waste. Loose waste such as rubble and soil in a trailer must be bagged.
NFU Scotland and Scottish Land & Estates have joined farmers and small businesses in the call for urgent action on fly-tipping.
The plea for Scottish Government help was made at a round table meeting on Thursday with Cabinet Secretary for Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform, Roseanna Cunningham.
The two organisations called on the minister to lead a strategic and co-ordinated response to the problem and asked for a firm commitment to regularly bring stakeholders together to discuss a data-led response.
NFU Scotland president Andrew McCornick said: “This is an abhorrent crime and a blight on our industry. NFU Scotland is seeking changes to remove the many risks fly-tipping creates for our members.
“We have seen food waste and hazardous materials being dumped, creating a health and safety threat for farmers and their animals, plus the burden of costs, inconvenience and time related to its removal all being left up to those affected.
“NFU Scotland wants a better and more standardised approach to fly-tipping across all local authorities, helping farmers and landowners with preventative and clean-up operations.
“We are seeking alignment to a national fly-tipping strategy database, with greater resource for investigative bodies to prosecute, using more punitive measures to deter fly-tipping.
Scottish Land & Estates’ policy adviser, Karen Ramoo, added: “Fly-tipping has serious social, environmental, economic and health implications.
“It poses a threat to humans and wildlife, damages our environment and spoils people’s enjoyment of the outdoors.
“It is more than an eyesore. Too many landowners and farmers find themselves in a vicious cycle of costly clean-ups.
“Rural businesses can find themselves liable for bills of thousands of pounds to clean up land that has been fly-tipped, with many offered no help from their local authority.
“Small businesses and farmers cannot wait any longer for action.”
