FIFE Council’s free bulky uplift service is set to continue despite a revelation that the initiative has had no impact on attempts to cut down on fly tipping.

Just over a year on from fees being removed, the local authority say a total of 55,547 uplifts were made with 59 per cent of items able to be recycled.

Further ways of supporting residents to segregate and recycle more domestic waste are currently being looked into.

Councillor Jan Wincott, spokesperson for climate change and environment, said: “We have seen a huge uptake in the bulky uplift service since removing the charge for the service last year, with a four-fold increase in demand.

"The free service has helped relieve pressure on our recycling centres, support residents with financial challenges and help them to dispose of their waste responsibly.

READ MORE: Fife Council scheme is popular but illegal dumping continues

“While it is great to see so many Fifers making use of the free service, we encourage people to continue to recycle or check to see if any items can be re-used first."

Earlier this month, the Press reported the views of domestic waste and street cleansing service manager Sandy Anderson who conceded that the waiving of the £15 charge had brought with it "no decrease" in the illegal dumping of waste.

He said while there had been a big increase in uplifts, it was not working as intended in relation to stopping fly tipping.

Cllr Wincott admitted that while the service had proved a success, the illegal dumping figures were concerning.

She added: "Fly tipping is damaging to our environment, our communities, and places unnecessary pressure on our frontline services.

READ MORE: Fife Council driving improvements in waste collection

“We urge all Fifers to continue to report instances of fly tipping, which carries a fine of £500.”

Although the free service is set to continue, new SEPA guidelines have required the council to alter the operating model for uplifting upholstered couches and chairs.

These items contain materials that are harmful to the environment and must be uplifted separately from all other bulky items.

Processing furniture containing these pollutants increases disposal costs and this is likely to add a further financial pressure of £300,000 - £500,000 per annum to the initial £1.2m that was originally provided to roll the service out.

Despite the first year of the free bulky uplift service being successful, levels of fly tipping in Fife have seen a 12 per cent increase in the same period.

The illegal dumping of rubbish, like white goods, mattresses and bags of waste – including clear-up and lost taxes – is estimated to cost around £1 billion across the UK every year.

In the financial year 2023/24, there were 3,483 reported incidents of fly tipping in Fife, compared to 3,110 from the previous year.