New Defra statistics show councils in England dealt with 1.26 million fly-tipping incidents in 2024/25, up from 1.15 million the previous year, with household waste and dumping on roads and pavements continuing to account for the largest share.
Local authorities in England dealt with 1.26 million fly-tipping incidents between April 2024 and March 2025, a 9% increase on the 1.15 million recorded in 2023/24, according to a Defra statistical notice based on WasteDataFlow returns.
The dataset covers incidents recorded by councils and excludes large-scale cases dealt with by the Environment Agency, as well as most incidents on private land. The Environment Agency handled 98 large-scale illegal dumping incidents during 2024/25, the notice states.
Household waste remained the most common type of material dumped, accounting for 62% of all incidents. Councils recorded 777,000 incidents involving household waste in 2024/25, up 13% from 688,000 the year before. Within this category, both “black bags” and “other household waste” rose year-on-year.
Highways — including pavements and roads — continued to be the most frequent location for fly-tipping. They accounted for 37% of all incidents in 2024/25, with 463,000 cases recorded, a 9% increase on 427,000 in 2023/24. Footpaths and bridleways represented a further 20% of incidents, rising 17% to 254,000, while council land such as housing estates, parks and car parks made up 18% of incidents, increasing 13% to 223,000.
London recorded the highest average at 53 incidents per 1,000 people, while the South West recorded the lowest at 9
Defra’s publication also reports an average of 21 fly-tipping incidents per 1,000 people in England in 2024/25, though rates varied by region. London recorded the highest average at 53 incidents per 1,000 people, while the South West recorded the lowest at 9.
By size, the most common category was the equivalent of a “small van load”, accounting for 31% of incidents (381,000), followed by “car boot or less” at 27% (327,000). Single-item fly-tipping — such as furniture and mattresses — rose 12% to 201,000 incidents. “Single black bag” incidents increased 21% to 102,000.
Large incidents, defined as a “tipper lorry load” or larger, accounted for around 4% of total incidents (52,000) and increased 11% from 47,000 in 2023/24. For these larger cases, councils reported clearance costs of £19.3 million in 2024/25.
Enforcement activity also rose, with local authorities carrying out 572,000 enforcement actions in 2024/25, up 8% on 530,000 in 2023/24. Investigations remained the most common response, totalling 386,000 and accounting for 68% of actions. Councils issued 69,000 fixed penalty notices (FPNs), up 9% from 63,000, representing 12% of all actions.
Court outcomes moved in the opposite direction. The number of court fines decreased by 9% to 1,250 in 2024/25, with the combined value of fines falling 8% to £673,000. The average fine increased slightly from £530 to £539.
Disproportionately affected
Responding to the figures, the Country Land and Business Association (CLA) said rural areas were being disproportionately affected, particularly where incidents occur on private land and may not be captured in official council totals.
CLA president Gavin Lane said: “Farmers and land managers have had enough. The countryside is increasingly being targeted by organised crime gangs – often violent – who know that rural areas are under-policed and resourced.
We need to see penalties being enforced that better reflect the severity of the crime
“It’s not just litter blotting the landscape, but tonnes of household and commercial waste which can often be hazardous – even including asbestos and chemicals – endangering wildlife, livestock, crops and the environment. Farmers are victims yet have to pay clean up costs themselves.
“We need to see penalties being enforced that better reflect the severity of the crime, and the seizure of vehicles must be the default penalty to send a clear signal that criminals will face real consequences if they are caught fly-tipping.”
The CLA is calling for measures including a national fly-tipping commissioner, tougher application of penalties for those whose waste is found dumped, and more support for landowners facing disposal costs for illegally deposited waste.
“Depressing and concerning figures”
Commenting on the figures, CIWM’s Director of Policy, Communications and External Affairs, Dan Cooke, said: “These are depressing and concerning figures, with trends going in the wrong direction. Illegal dumping and fly-tipping at any scale is a clear waste crime. It causes misery and anxiety for communities and real damage to local environments and economies.
“Collectively, regulators, local authorities, governments, our sector and the wider public need to get a grip of waste crime and start making serious progress in tackling and reducing the blight of flytipping.
These are depressing and concerning figures, with trends going in the wrong direction.
“CIWM is calling for a waste crime taskforce to be established to systematically review shortcomings and to identify practical measures to address the scourge of waste crime at every level.
“In the meantime, we all have a duty to report any and every incident of flytipping. Large scale incidents should be reported via Crimestoppers 0800 555 111 or online, and all other incidents to your local council – use www.gov.uk/report-flytipping for a postcode finder to the right authority.
“There are some excellent examples of how a concerted and coordinated approach by councils, regulators and relevant partners can reduce flytipping significantly and bring those responsible to account.
“Local authorities and regulators can continue to share intelligence and adopt best practice via the National Flytipping Prevention Group website at www.nftpg.com”
The tip of the iceberg
ESA Chairman and Executive Vice President UK, SUEZ Group, John Scanlon, said: “It is no surprise that we’re seeing a significant increase in fly-tipping incidents given the slow pace of progress towards regulatory and enforcement reform.
“Fly-tipping is a deeply anti-social crime that damages the environment; harms communities and inflicts significant costs of clean-up on landowners and the public purse. But, it is just the tip of the iceberg of waste crime which, in its largely unseen depths, enables serious organised crime groups to make millions at very little risk of detection or meaningful penalty. This not only funds other serious criminal activities but also undermines investment in Britain’s circular economy.
Waste crime which, in its largely unseen depths, enables serious organised crime groups to make millions at very little risk of detection or meaningful penalty. This not only funds other serious criminal activities but also undermines investment in Britain’s circular economy.
“It remains too easy for criminals to get their hands on waste and to exploit holes in under-resourced regulation. Our sector has long called for competency-based licensing for those that collect, transport and trade waste material, combined with digital waste tracking. This would help stop waste from falling into the wrong hands and ensure that it is treated responsibly. However, regulation is only as good as enforcement, so we also need to see better-resourced, tougher, enforcement and stricter sentences for those prosecuted.
“In April 2025, Defra announced a raft of new measures to tackle waste crime, but many of these are not expected to come into effect until 2027 at the earliest. Meanwhile, some areas, such as funding enforcement of waste crime through permit fees, remain in limbo. Government must take today’s fly-tipping statistics as evidence of a worsening climate for waste crime that demands urgent attention.”
