Charges for disposing of 'DIY waste' at recycling centres have been waived in a move which is hoped to tackle fly tipping.

Somerset Council currently charge a fee to dispose of DIY waste such as plasterboard at their recycling centres. But a new government measure will see the fee abolished nationwide.

The policy was announced by the MP for Taunton and Wellington, and Environment Minister, Rebecca Pow. She said:

"We want to make it as easy as possible for people to dispose of their waste properly and that’s why we are removing the financial burden on doing the right thing with DIY trash. 

“This not only supports our wider work to tackle fly-tipping and waste crime, but we are helping home improvers across the nations make their dream projects a reality.”

The scrapping the fee is one of a number of initiatives aimed at tackling fly tipping, a crime which costs the economy an estimated £924 million per year.

Executive Director of the Environmental Services Association, Jacob Hayler, said: “We welcome any measures that make it easier for householders to dispose of waste correctly and responsibly at their local Household Waste Recycling Centre, which in turn reduces the chance of it falling into the hands of criminals or being fly-tipped. 

“Tackling the scourge of waste crime, from low-level fly-tipping to industrial-scale illegal operations, will require a multifaceted approach which is why we also support additional measures being introduced to help local authorities and to implement digital waste tracking alongside reform of the licensing regime for waste carriers, brokers and dealers.”

For further information about waste disposal across Somerset, see the Somerset Council website.