Fly-tipping is when non-household rubbish like building materials, old clothes or bulky items like furniture and electrical goods are dumped in the wrong place. That might be on the floor by the bins, near refuse centres, in communal spaces or on open land.
Fly-tipping is a criminal offence for which you can be prosecuted. If you’re caught fly-tipping, you could face imprisonment, unlimited fines and lose access to the car or van you’ve been using to fly-tip.
It’s against the law because it pollutes the environment. It also makes where you live look run down and encourages other antisocial behaviour like graffiti and vandalism.
We’re always working to prevent and clear up rubbish like this, by having our staff regularly visit and clear fly-tipping hot spots in your neighbourhood.
Rules for disposing of non-household rubbish and bulky items
Fly-tipping is on the rise, so it’s important to take steps to prevent it.
If you need to dispose of non-household rubbish, you can take them to your local recycling centre. Alternatively, you can pay the council or a local waste company to pick up and dispose of the non-household waste for you.
Top tips for getting rid of unwanted items
Sell it online
Sell your unwanted, good quality items online on websites like Facebook Marketplace, Gumtree or eBay.
Donate it to charity
Charities are always on the lookout for second-hand items in decent condition like clothes, toys and even furniture. Check your local area to see which are near you - some might even come and collect it from your house.
Recycle it
If it can’t be sold or donated, you can take old and unwanted items to your nearest recycling centre. Alternatively, compare quotes from recycling companies that offer a pickup service like Eco Rubbish Clearance or AO.
Contact your local council
Councils will offer a disposal service for large and bulky items, for a fee. If you have to leave your item outside while it’s waiting to be collected, make sure you attach a note with relevant information like reference numbers.
Ask the retailer
If you’re getting rid of something because you’re replacing it with a newer version, check if the retailer you’re purchasing from offers a service where they take away the old item.
Help fight fly-tipping in your community
Dealing with fly-tipping is expensive. In 2020-21, we spent £1.8m of resident’s fees on clearing fly-tipped items from Clarion bin stores, blocks and neighbourhoods.
£1.8 million could have been spent on nine new houses (based on our average house costs), or 50 artificial five-a-side football pitches, or 90 small children’s playgrounds.
If you witness someone fly-tipping, want to report fly-tipped items or have ongoing problems in your area, please contact your local council or contact us.
We worked with the police and residents to resolve the most serious issues and developed a Good Neighbour Code.
Case study: The Brislington estate
After an antisocial behaviour complaint at the Brislington estate, we set up a task-and-finish group to discuss what was happening. We also invited the police to speak to residents during an estate walkabout.
We found that there was antisocial behaviour, including drug-related activity, parking issues, untidy gardens, and cars being repaired on the roadside as a business.
Alongside our teams, the police and residents were able to resolve a lot of the issues. We held gardening competitions to deal with untidy gardens, and developed a Good Neighbour Code to support the continued improvement of the estate. Local events and activities also improved the sense of community.
As a result, there has been a reduction in reports of antisocial behaviour, people feel more included, and community events are being organised regularly by Brislington residents.
