09/07/2026
Fly-tipping remains one of the most visible and persistent environmental offences facing local authorities, landowners and other regulators. Beyond the immediate visual impact and obvious costs of clearance illegal waste disposal places significant financial burdens on public bodies and diverts funds from other public services) there are additional consequences. It also threatens public health, contaminates land and watercourses, damages ecosystems and undermines legitimate waste management operators.
With fly-tipping incidents continuing to rise and government attention increasingly focused on waste crime, authorities are under growing pressure to combine effective enforcement with preventative measures that address the root causes of offending.
The scale of the challenge
Fly-tipping is the illegal deposit of waste on land or in water without the appropriate authorisation. Offenders often seek to avoid the costs associated with lawful waste disposal, resulting in waste being abandoned in public spaces, rural locations and private land.
The nature and scale of fly-tipped waste varies considerably, ranging from individual bags of household waste to substantial quantities of commercial, industrial or construction materials.
The latest government statistics demonstrate the continued scale of the problem.
During 2024/25:
- Reported fly-tipping incidents increased by 9%, rising from 1.15 million to 1.26 million incidents.
- Household waste accounted for 62% of all reported incidents.
- Highways, including roads and pavements, remained the most common location, representing 37% of reported cases.
The legal framework
Fly-tipping is a criminal offence under section 33 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 (EPA 1990).The legislation prohibits the unauthorised deposit, treatment, keeping or disposal of controlled waste.
Offences commonly arise where waste is deposited on land without the necessary environmental permits or where waste is unlawfully discarded from vehicles.
Enforcement powers: who does what?
Responsibility for tackling fly-tipping is shared between local authorities and the Environment Agency.
In general terms, local authorities lead on smaller-scale incidents on public land, while the Environment Agency focuses on larger, more complex cases involving hazardous waste, organised criminal activity or significant environmental harm.
Both bodies possess extensive enforcement powers, including:
- Fixed penalty notices
- Formal investigations
- Vehicle seizure powers
- Cost recovery mechanisms, and
- Criminal prosecution
Householders also have a legal duty of care when disposing of waste. Waste must be transferred only to authorised carriers or disposal operators. Where individuals fail to take reasonable steps to ensure their waste is handled lawfully, and that waste is subsequently fly-tipped, local authorities may impose fixed penalties of up to £600.
Private landowners are similarly affected. While they are often the victims of fly-tipping, responsibility for clearing waste typically falls to them. Authorities can, in certain circumstances, require landowners to remove waste or undertake clearance works themselves and recover associated costs through statutory powers.
Moving beyond enforcement
While enforcement remains essential, experience demonstrates that prosecution alone is unlikely to eliminate fly-tipping.
Effective prevention requires authorities to understand the practical and behavioural barriers that influence waste disposal decisions. Local authorities should consider whether residents have:
- The physical capability to dispose of waste appropriately
- Sufficient knowledge of available disposal routes and legal responsibilities, and
- The motivation to comply with waste management requirements
Addressing these factors requires a combination of education, engagement and infrastructure. Public awareness campaigns, community-led initiatives and clear communication can improve understanding of waste disposal obligations. However, behavioural change is unlikely to be sustained without accessible and affordable waste disposal services.
The National Fly-Tipping Prevention Group (NFTPG) continues to play an important role in supporting this approach through its partnership framework, encouraging collaboration between local authorities, landowners, businesses and environmental regulators to develop targeted local solutions.
Local authority action in practice
A number of authorities have demonstrated how targeted interventions can deliver significant reductions in fly-tipping with some reporting a 97% reduction in fly-tipping across identified hotspots through a combination of CCTV surveillance, drone technology, targeted enforcement and public engagement.
Campaigns, encouraging residents to report offenders and provide intelligence can also deter offenders. Investigation notices placed at fly-tipping sites also serve to reassure communities that incidents are being actively investigated while encouraging witnesses to come forward.
National policy developments
The Government’s focus on waste crime has intensified through the Waste Crime Action Plan, launched in March 2026.
The strategy adopts a three-pillar approach:
- Preventing waste crime through stronger regulation
- Strengthening enforcement and increasing prosecutions, and
- Improving the remediation of affected sites
Between July 2024 and December 2025, the Environment Agency and partner organisations disrupted 1,205 illegal waste sites and secured 122 prosecutions, including ten custodial sentences.
The Action Plan signals a more intelligence-led and interventionist approach to enforcement. Measures under consideration include the introduction of driving licence penalty points for fly-tipping offences, wider use of conditional cautions requiring unpaid work, and greater use of public naming of offenders.
Looking ahead
Fly-tipping continues to present a significant environmental, financial and operational challenge. While regulators and local authorities possess substantial enforcement powers, long-term success will depend on balancing robust enforcement with effective prevention.
Authorities that combine intelligence-led enforcement, accessible waste infrastructure, community engagement and behavioural insight are likely to be best placed to reduce offending and protect local environments.
As national policy increasingly prioritises waste crime, organisations involved in waste management, land ownership and local government should expect greater scrutiny, stronger enforcement activity and increasing expectations around collaborative action.
How can we support you?
If you require any support or additional capacity, we are here to help. See our Corporate Crime team for further details, and follow our dedicated Central & Local Government page for local authority legal insights.
