Britain facing fly-tipping epidemic as massive majority back action to fix crime

EMBARGO: 22:30 Friday 25th April

New polling commissioned by the Liberal Democrats has revealed the shocking scale of fly-tipping across the UK, with the South-East worst hit, and overwhelming public demand for tougher action - with the party calling for a ‘Fly Tipping Fighting Fund’ to tackle the crime.

Liberal Democrat analysis of new polling reveals that over half (a staggering 51%) of UK adults have witnessed the blight of fly-tipping in their local area.

The figures expose a national crisis, with the South-East of England particularly badly affected - where nearly three in five (58%) residents have seen illegal rubbish dumping.

The public outcry for action to fix the issue is overwhelming - a massive 81% of adults believe the Government needs to do more to stop fly-tipping and littering. Just one in ten thought the Government was up to scratch on tackling fly-tipping.

Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey has condemned the Conservative Government's dire legacy on environmental crime, leaving communities to suffer the consequences of illegal dumping - telling voters that “enough is enough”. The Liberal Democrats are calling for a national ‘Fly Tipping Fighting Fund’ that hikes fines for fly tipping, to deter perpetrators and raises more money to crack down on environmental crime.

Commenting, Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey said:

"These figures paint a grim picture of our local communities being treated as dumping grounds. It is utterly unacceptable that more than half the country is experiencing this damaging crime on their doorsteps.

"The Conservatives consistently failed to provide the resources and robust enforcement needed to tackle this epidemic. From overflowing bins to piles of hazardous waste, fly-tipping is blighting our landscapes and causing misery for residents.

"The message from the public is resounding: enough is enough. We need a brand-new Fly-Tipping Fighting Fund, which can drive stronger local enforcement and tougher penalties for offenders, so that fines can be funnelled straight back into communities to crack this disgusting issue. Neighbourhoods deserve better than to be left to deal with this mess."

ENDS

Notes to Editors:

Methodology: Savanta interviewed 2,212 UK adults aged 18+ online between 17 th April and 21 st April 2025. Data were weighted to be representative of the UK by age, sex, region, and social grade.

Q1. In your local area, have you noticed instances of illegal dumping of rubbish, known as ‘fly-tipping’? Base: All respondents (2,212)

I have 51%

I have not 43%

Don’t know 6%

Half of UK adults (51%) say they have noticed instances of fly-tipping in their local area.

This increases to approaching three in five (58%) of those in the South-East of England.

Q2.  Which of the following statements best describes your view? Base: All respondents

(2,212)

The Government needs to do more to stop fly tipping and littering 81%

The Government doesn’t need to do more to stop fly tipping and littering 10%

Don’t know 9%

The majority (81%) of UK adults are of the view that the UK Government needs to do

more to stop fly tipping and littering, with just one in ten (10%) stating they do not need

to take further action (9% don’t know).

Older respondents aged 55+ are more likely to think the Government needs to do more

about fly-tipping and littering than their younger counterparts (91% vs. 81% of 35-54s

and 68% of 18-34s).

For a full regional breakdown, please find the full data set here.