A 26-year-old woman from Feltham, west London, has been fined £1,000 by Hounslow Council after placing a single cardboard envelope next to full communal bins outside her flat. Loretta Alvarez, a single mother, explained that the bins, shared by around 25 properties, were overflowing and she had left the envelope on top of other cardboard, believing it would be collected without issue.
Ms Alvarez said she “would never intentionally” leave rubbish in public and described the situation as stressful. She added: “It’s been so stressful. I didn’t want this to happen, I wouldn’t want it to happen to someone else. I’ve been trying to juggle this alongside work and being a mum – it’s been hard.”
Hounslow Council maintained that fly-tipping is defined as leaving waste anywhere in public apart from in a bin, regardless of whether bins are full. The council has stated that Ms Alvarez must pay the fine by 5 November or face legal proceedings, which could result in a criminal charge. Ms Alvarez, who works as a mental health nurse, said she cannot afford the fine and fears it could impact her record. “I don’t have that money to give, I can’t afford getting into debt to pay it, and I don’t want to get a mark on my record. I’m a mental health nurse, I went to university for three years. They’re fining me more than someone gets for speeding,” she said.
The Local Democracy Reporting Service noted that Hounslow Council had temporarily put the fine on hold while investigating the circumstances, but it has not been cancelled. Councillor Pritam Grewal, cabinet member for community safety, said: “The council remains committed to taking a zero-tolerance approach to littering and protecting the local environment. We have done the right thing in issuing the fine, because littering includes leaving waste anywhere in public apart from in a bin, regardless of whether bins are full. While we accept that no one likes receiving a fine, residents expect us to tackle the offence and the offenders.”
Photos from the site show only the envelope left by Ms Alvarez, with other discarded cardboard in the area not hers, but the council has held firm on the penalty. Ms Alvarez said she initially believed the envelope had been collected with the rest of the rubbish and was unaware the fine would be issued, adding that the experience has been both financially and emotionally taxing.
The case has sparked debate over the fairness of fly-tipping fines when bins are full, highlighting the challenges councils face in balancing environmental protection with the practical realities of residents’ daily lives.
