Farmers and landowners have been told to be aware of requests to store waste on their land following a string of incidents in Wales.
The issue is a growing problem driven by criminal gangs, according to Natural Resources Wales (NRW).
It follows recent incidents where farmers across Wales have accepted waste for temporary storage.
The type of waste can vary a lot, from partially shredded plastics and materials, to mattresses and even soil or building material.
Now farmers and landowners are reminded that storing waste is tightly regulated, as environmental permits are required to store large quantities of waste.
And any waste exemptions have strict conditions about the amount and type of waste that can be stored.
The rules are in place to make sure waste is managed and stored correctly to avoid pollution and fire risk, the NRW says.
Euros Jones, Operations Manager for NRW said: “If individuals or companies offer baled waste to farmers to store, supposedly on a temporary basis, it is vital they check that the right permissions are in place.
“Landowners may let land in good faith to waste operators, but it is vital they do so with their eyes wide open.
“There are unscrupulous operators looking to dump waste anywhere they can. The land owner is often left with significant quantities of waste, which is potentially damaging to the environment, and a large bill to remove it legally.”
Anyone approached to store bales or any other type of waste on their land have been urged to report to NRW on 03000 65 3000.
