Local authorities in Devon recorded a staggering 13,463 incidents of fly-tipping on public land in 2020/21 with most of them (65%) involving household waste, which residents can put out for collection by local authorities or take to recycling centres.
Scale of the problem
The National Fly Tipping Prevention Group estimates it costs landowners between £50m and £150m to clear up this onslaught of fly-tipping each year. The true scale of the problem is extremely hard to measure as many landowners do not report incidents.
Campaign launch
The campaign was launched with a mocked-up fly tip on the moors just outside Plymouth, which are often targeted by tippers, a demonstration of a police drone that can be used to catch people in the act and new signage warning that fly-tipping is a serious crime and local authorities always look to catch and prosecute those committing it.
It is punishable by up to two years imprisonment and a fine of up to £50,000 upon conviction.
With the increased use of CCTV, local awareness groups and the sharing of vehicle details on social media platforms it is hoped that more convictions will follow.
“A recent survey of our members showed nearly half (48%) were affected by fly-tipping. We would urge people to dispose of their waste responsibly.”
Melanie Squires
NFU South West regional director
“Dispose of waste responsibly”
NFU South West Regional Director Melanie Squires said: “A recent survey of our members showed nearly half (48%) were affected by fly-tipping in 2020. Fly tipping is illegal, it is dangerous to human health, wildlife and livestock and in some cases can pollute watercourses and contaminate land.
“When incidents of fly-tipping take place on private land it is the land manager’s responsibility to remove the illegally dumped waste, so the costs involved can also be considerable. We would urge people to dispose of their waste responsibly.”
Although the campaign was based in Devon, media coverage included Cornwall and Somerset.
Campaign video
Watch a short video produced by the South West NFU to highlight the campaign