UK government invests in illegal dumping prevention amid pandemic “fly-tipping” surge

12 Apr 2022 --- The UK government is investing £450,000 (US$585,000) in a range of new measures to prevent illegal waste dumping throughout the country. Known colloquially as fly-tipping, trash discarded illegally in public places causes serious harm to environmental and human health and incurs heavy financial costs on local councils.

Fly-tipping rose substantially throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, with local authorities dealing with 1.13 million incidents in 2020/21, up by 16% from 2019/20. These crimes are estimated to cost up to £392 million (US$509 million) per year.

A call for evidence on the use of booking systems at recycling centers has been launched today – some of which were brought in when restrictions were imposed during the pandemic – amid concerns these could be making it harder for people to dispose of their waste and increasing the risk of fly-tipping.

Also, a number of councils in England will be awarded grants to tackle fly-tipping through trial projects, including CCTV to target hotspots.

UK Environment Minister Jo Churchill remarks: “When it comes to fly-tipping, enough is enough. I want to make sure that recycling and the correct disposal of rubbish are free, accessible and easy for householders. No one should be tempted to fly-tip or turn to waste criminals and rogue operators.”

“Furthermore, the funding that we have announced for Local Authorities today will help them trial innovative new projects to put a stop to fly-tipping. We will learn from the successes – and replicate them.”

New tools
With over 60,000 incidents of illegal waste dumping recorded last year, funding for local councils will be put into a range of new resources to prevent and prosecute offenders.

Investment in CCTV will help local authorities deter and catch offenders.

• CCTV: The use of covert and overt CCTV cameras at hotspot locations can help to reduce the number of people dumping waste illegally while also providing further evidence to help identify those that continue to offend.
• Artificial intelligence: Buckinghamshire Council plans to use a combination of AI-enabled Rapid Deployable Cameras and Automatic Number Plate Recognition cameras to alert any visible left items at fly-tipping hotspots in real-time and link to the vehicle that deposited them.
• Delivering education to communities on fly-tipping: Funding for Durham Council for CCTV will lead individuals to be directed to the council’s self-funded digital educational tool for those issued with an on-the-spot fine. The tool aims to educate and encourage long-term behavior change, and completion reduces the amount of the fine.
• “No bags on the street” policy – Newham Council will receive funding to prevent bags from being on the street in front of business premises which can attract additional waste. They will scale up their trial of containers to house residential and commercial waste, which will result in a 24% reduction in fly-tipping.

“Now or never”
Marcus Gover, WRAP CEO, says these measures are essential in light of the recent report by the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), which was described by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres as a “file of shame, cataloging the empty pledges that put us firmly on track toward an unlivable world.”

“The latest IPCC report clearly states that ‘it’s now or never’ if we are to act on global warming. This stark reminder that how we use the world’s natural resources is threatening our very existence signposts material efficiency and recycling among priorities,” remarks Gover.

“Minimizing waste is central to this. The introductions of grants to reduce fly-tipping across England and Wales are necessary to help prevent the continual environmental cost of this illegal activity.”

By Louis Gore-Langton

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