Fly-tipping across England reaches record high | Waste
Fly-tipping incidents in England have reached their highest level since current records began, with most offenses continuing to relate to household waste.
In 2024-25, 1.26 million incidents of mid-air spills were recorded by local authorities, an increase of 9% on the 1.15 million reported the previous year, according to data released by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) on Wednesday.
This data does not include the 98 incidents of large-scale illegal dumping dealt with by the Environment Agency, nor those cleared by private landowners.
“These figures show that the equivalent of 142 monstrous landfills took place every day,” said Tim Farron, Liberal Democrat spokesman for environment, food and rural affairs.
Despite an increase in spills, the data also reveals that the number of court fines fell from 1,378 to 1,250, with only 0.2% of incidents resulting in legal action. Furthermore, only 139 infringing vehicles were seized over the past year.
In response to the figures, the government has issued new guidance to local authorities, advising them on how to seize and crash vehicles used in fly-tipping crimes, and suggesting criminals should be “named and shamed” by advice on social media.
Nearly two in three incidents, a total of 777,000, involved household waste, an increase of 13% on the 688,000 incidents reported in 2023-24. This includes materials from house clearances, old furniture, carpets and waste from small DIY projects.
Most incidents occurred on sidewalks and roads, accounting for 37% of spills.
Incidents equivalent to the size of a “small van” accounted for 31% of the total, while the next most common were those equivalent to the size of a “car trunk or less”, at 27%.
One in 20 incidents involved a “dump truck load” or more, an increase of 11% from the previous year. The cost of cleaning up this waste was £19.3 million, an increase of £6.2 million on 2023-24.
John Read, founder of campaign group Clean Up Britain, said: “The current fly-tipping statistics are further evidence of the national epidemic we face in England, and indeed the whole of the UK.
“To be effective, we must create real danger and fear in the minds of dump trucks. The cost – and risk – of ‘doing business’ must become too exorbitant for them.”
Circular Economy Minister Mary Creagh said: “We are empowering local authorities to tackle the waste cowboys and restore pride in our regions.
“Dumpsters should know: if you use your van to destroy our countryside, don’t be surprised when it ends up in the scrapyard.”
Gavin Lane, chairman of the Country Land and Business Association (CLA), said: “It’s not just litter that blights the landscape, but tonnes of household and commercial waste which can often be hazardous – including asbestos and chemicals – endangering wildlife, livestock, crops and the environment. »
