‘I hope he has learned his lesson’

A London man was caught in the illegal act of fly-tipping after police were tipped off by another member of the public.

Fly-tipping is a British term for the illegal dumping of waste, and it is an environmental hazard.

According to the BBC, Chunlin Zheng dumped waste from a van on the side of the road without a waste carrier’s license after allegedly being paid £350. Police arriving on the scene managed to film the incident with body cameras.

Because of the damage illegal dumping causes, Zheng was ordered to pay £1,114 ($1,500) after he pleaded guilty to his crime. He will also complete 200 hours of community service.

The act of fly-tipping is illegal. It creates unnecessary waste pollution. According to waste disposal company Sharp, improperly discarded waste can contaminate water and soil, making it a health hazard as well as an environmental one.

Visibly dumped waste is a true eyesore; it can bring down property values and, according to the broken windows theory, can encourage more crime in an area.

This theory proposes that in places where things are in disarray, such as where windows are shattered and unrepaired, the impression of neglect attracts more vandalism, according to Top Ranked.

This theory carries over to illegal dumping, as it suggests that the sight of improper waste disposal could encourage communities to ignore the illegality of the act and participate.

To put a stop to the messy eco-hazard of illegal dumping, a council in the Cotswolds region of the U.K. has been cracking down through the “Your Rubbish, Your Responsibility” initiative, according to the BBC.

It is because of initiatives like this that perpetrators are being held responsible for their actions, just as Zheng was. Officials want this incident to serve as a lesson against fly-tipping.

“I hope he has learned his lesson,” Councillor Martin Smith said, per the BBC. “Fly-tipping is a serious environmental crime that blights our communities, and we continue to take it very seriously.”

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