Fly-tipping: The illegal dumping of waste

Fly‑tipping, the illegal disposal of controlled waste such as household items, commercial materials or garden refuse, remains a growing problem across England. Rising incident numbers have prompted concerns from parliamentary committees, rural organisations and waste charities about limited coordination between enforcement bodies and the financial burden placed on private landowners. In response, the UK Government has proposed several reforms, including introducing a mandatory digital waste tracking system to improve oversight of waste movements, and reforms to the waste carrier, broker and dealer regime.

Fly-tipping is a devolved issue, and this briefing focuses on England. Further information can also be provided to MPs and their staff on request.

The problem of fly‑tipping

Fly‑tipping is a criminal offence under section 33 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990. It covers the deposit of controlled waste on land without a waste management licence. Offences also include dumping waste from a vehicle, where the person in control of the vehicle can be held responsible.

Impacts identified by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs include harm to the local environment, risks to public health and wildlife, and damage to legitimate waste businesses. Large‑scale incidents can be costly: in the year April 2024 to March 2025, local authorities spent £19.3 million clearing incidents the size of a tipper lorry load or larger. Organised fly‑tipping can lead to significant clean‑up costs, with some individual sites costing between £10,000 and £500,000 to clear. Surveys have highlighted the scale of the problem in rural areas, with many farmers reporting small‑ and large‑scale fly‑tipping on their land.

Causes of fly‑tipping include attempts to avoid disposal charges, lack of access to waste services, and limited public understanding of waste rules. Research has noted that some incidents recorded as fly‑tipping result from people attempting to recycle but leaving items beside full containers, or leaving waste out on the wrong collection day.

The scale of fly‑tipping

In the year April 2024 to March 2025, local authorities in England recorded 1.26 million incidents, a 9% rise on the previous year. Household waste accounted for 62% of these. Highways, including roads and pavements, were the most common locations, representing 37% of incidents.

Enforcement actions reached 572,000 in 2024 to 2025, most commonly investigations. Investigations are formal procedures conducted by local councils or the Environment Agency to identify, gather evidence against, and penalise those who illegally dump waste. Local authorities issued 69,000 fixed penalty notices, and 139 vehicles were seized.

Data on private‑land incidents is limited, and most large‑scale cases handled by the Environment Agency (EA) are not included in local authority figures.

Responsibilities and powers

Local authorities handle small‑scale fly‑tipping on public land, while the Environment Agency deals with larger‑scale, hazardous or organised cases. On private land, landowners are responsible for clearance and must use authorised waste carriers. Authorities can require landowners to clear waste or can clear it themselves and recover costs, using various legislative powers.

Householders have a duty of care to ensure their waste is passed to authorised carriers. They can receive fixed penalty notices of up to £600 if they fail to take reasonable measures and their waste is later fly‑tipped.

Previous work to tackle fly‑tipping

Governments have introduced several measures since 2015 to strengthen enforcement and improve waste regulation. These include enhanced powers for regulators, new fixed penalty notices, and the Waste Enforcement (England and Wales) Regulations 2018, which allow authorities to require waste removal or temporarily restrict access to waste sites.

A 2018 independent review of serious and organised waste crime recommended a more strategic approach and led to the establishment of the Joint Unit for Waste Crime in 2020. The 2018 Resources and Waste Strategy outlined reforms such as improved waste tracking, stronger intelligence‑sharing and tougher penalties.

Grant funding has also supported local projects to prevent fly‑tipping. The National Fly‑Tipping Prevention Group has developed toolkits on raising awareness of waste duty of care and building effective local partnerships.

Calls for change

Parliamentary committees and environmental campaign groups such as Keep Britain Tidy have raised concerns about the effectiveness of current enforcement. Issues include limited coordination between agencies, inconsistent local authority practice and the financial burden placed on private landowners. Some rural organisations argue for greater support and more proportionate enforcement.

Government proposals for change

A mandatory digital waste tracking system, due to become compulsory for receiving waste sites from October 2026, aims to improve transparency and detect illegal activity. The government also plans reforms to the waste carrier, broker and dealer regime, introducing environmental permits and simplifying terminology. Proposals in the March 2026 Waste Crime Action Plan include potential penalty points on driving licences for fly‑tipping offences, conditional cautions involving unpaid work, and exploring approaches to publicly naming offenders.

Devolved administrations have their own strategies, consultations and data systems for addressing fly‑tipping.