fly tipping in London junk in a field outside of London

Fly Tipping London Analysis 2021

16 December 2021

Fly tipping London analysis 2021

Interested in a fly-tipping analysis of London in 2021? Well, great, you are in the perfect place!

Londoners represent 16% of the total population of the UK, yet are collectively responsible for 34% of fly-tipping nationwide. In this blog, we analyse fly-tipping rates by borough based on the latest Defra statisticslooking at the most prominent perpetrators and top improvers!

 

1. Fly tipping analysis London in 2021
2. Fly tipping rates by borough
3. Boroughs with the highest increase in fly-tipping
4. Boroughs with the biggest reduction in fly-tipping 

 

1. Fly tipping analysis London 2021  

London recorded 43 fly-tips for every 1000 residents. A fly-tipping rate that was more than double the national average of 20. As a result, London was collectively responsible for 34% (1 in 3) of all fly-tipping incidents in England in the 2020 to 2021 period. This is despite Londoners only representing 16% of the total population.

Below we give a detailed analysis of fly-tipping rates, specifically London by borough. The findings were not completely surprising. The city of London recorded the worst rates of fly-tipping, perhaps due to its proximity to so many businesses, building work, and people. It is also worth mentioning that the streets were empty for much of the last year due to lockdown. All in all, the perfect setting for some cowboy builders or waste operators to throw away waste illegally.


2. Rates by borough

In 2020 - 2021 London recorded 385,000 instances of fly-tipping. This was an increase of 7% compared to the prior year.

1 in 3 of all fly tipping incidents in England occurred in London, and on average, there were 43 fly tips for every 1000 London residents. This rate is more than double the national average of 20.

The three boroughs with the worst reported rates of fly tipping were the City of London (193 fly-tips per 1000 residents), Camden (131 instances per 1000), and Hounslow (114 instances per 1000). Brent borough at 102 was the only other borough to have a rate of more than 100.

Below is a table showing how this overall figure splits out for each London borough. 

 

Table A – Boroughs ranked by rate of fly-tipping per 1000 people 

Local authority  2021 fly tipping 2020 fly tipping change % of total fly tips fly tips per 1000 people Population
City of London 2,112 1,804 17% 1% 193 10,938
Camden 36,696 34,465 6% 10% 131 279,516
Hounslow 30,902 22,480 37% 8% 114 271,767
Brent 33,467 34,197 -2% 9% 102 327,753
Hammersmith & Fulham 16,828 13,322 26% 4% 92 183,544
Redbridge 26,053 19,897 31% 7% 85 305,658
Haringey 21,950 22,972 -4% 6% 82 266,357
Merton 15,857 13,047 22% 4% 77 206,453
Southwark 21,386 17,872 20% 6% 67 320,017
Croydon 22,719 25,532 -11% 6% 58 388,563
Newham 20,765 11,145 86% 5% 58 355,266
Kensington and Chelsea 8,043 6,490 24% 2% 51 156,864
Hackney 13,609 12,190 12% 4% 48 280,941
Westminster 11,478 15,283 -25% 3% 43 269,848
Ealing 13,090 13,115 0% 3% 38 340,341
Waltham Forest 8,606 9,260 -7% 2% 31 276,940
Harrow 7,622 11,151 -32% 2% 30 252,338
Hillingdon 9,323 10,434 -11% 2% 30 309,014
Bexley 5,684 2,552 123% 1% 23 249,301
Tower Hamlets 7,537 7,365 2% 2% 23 331,969
Enfield 7,289 4,979 46% 2% 22 333,587
Sutton 4,487 3,823 17% 1% 22 207,707
Barking and Dagenham 3,494 3,794 -8% 1% 16 214,107
Lambeth 5,040 6,638 -24% 1% 16 321,813
Greenwich 4,376 11,795 -63% 1% 15 289,034
Richmond upon Thames 2,981 2,887 3% 1% 15 198,141
Lewisham 4,294 3,842 12% 1% 14 305,309
Havering 3,242 3,380 -4% 1% 12 260,651
Kingston upon Thames 2,205 1,619 36% 1% 12 179,142
Wandsworth 3,924 4,745 -17% 1% 12 329,735
Bromley 3,575 2,821 27% 1% 11 332,752
Barnet 4,218 3,420 23% 1% 11 399,007
Islington 1,982 1,764 12% 1% 8 248,115
London total 384,834 360,080 7% 43 9,002,488

Source: Defra / Lovejunk (December 2021) 

 

3. Boroughs with the highest increase

The borough of Bexley is the borough with the most noticeable change in fly-tipping rates, increasing by a substantial 123%. Newham closely follows though it's appropriate to mention that this borough has the second-highest population within Greater London. Hounslow has the highest rate of fly tips per 1000 people by a 37% change.

 

Table B – London boroughs with highest INCREASE in fly tipping  

Local authority  2020 /21 fly tips  2019 /20 fly tips  change  % of total fly tips  fly tips per 1000 people  Population 
Bexley  5,684  2,552  123%  1%  23  249,301 
Newham  20,765  11,145  86%  5%  58  355,266 
Enfield  7,289  4,979  46%  2%  22  333,587 
Hounslow  30,902  22,480  37%  8%  114  271,767 
Kingston upon Thames   2,205  1,619  36%  1%  12  179,142 
Redbridge  26,053  19,897  31%  7%  85  305,658 
Bromley  3,575  2,821  27%  1%  11  332,752 
Hammersmith & Fulham  16,828  13,322  26%  4%  92  183,544 
Kensington and Chelsea  8,043  6,490  24%  2%  51  156,864 
Barnet  4,218  3,420  23%  1%  11  399,007 

Source: Defra / Lovejunk (December 2021) 

 

4. London boroughs with the biggest reduction in fly-tipping

Kudos to the borough of Greenwich, who managed to decrease its rate of fly tipping by an enormous 63%, placing it at the top of the leaderboard. Putting the green firmly back in Greenwich! Harrow and Westminster both cleaned up though it's worth noting they are not the most populated of the boroughs listed here. Wandsworth reported only 12 fly tips per 1000 people, increasing by 36% from the previous year. Excellent work, London!

 

Table C – London boroughs with the biggest REDUCTION in fly-tipping 

Local authority  2020 /21 fly tips  2019 /20 fly tips  change  % of total fly tips  fly tips per 1000 people  Population 
Greenwich  4,376  11,795  -63%  1%  15  289,034 
Harrow  7,622  11,151  -32%  2%  30  252,338 
Westminster  11,478  15,283  -25%  3%  43  269,848 
Lambeth  5,040  6,638  -24%  1%  16  321,813 
Wandsworth  3,924  4,745  -17%  1%  12  329,735 
Croydon  22,719  25,532  -11%  6%  58  388,563 
Hillingdon  9,323  10,434  -11%  2%  30  309,014 
Barking and Dagenham  3,494  3,794  -8%  1%  16  214,107 
Waltham Forest  8,606  9,260  -7%  2%  31  276,940 
Haringey  21,950  22,972  -4%  6%  82  266,357 

Source: Defra / Lovejunk (December 2021) 

 

Interactive Map London Fly tipping

It appears that in London, fly-tipping is here to stay. Many factors contribute from people using it as a financial incentive to a lack of access to waste disposal facilities. Fly-tipping threatens our wildlife and spoils our countryside. Please read our fly-tipping analysis in England for a wider scope at the bigger picture of fly-tipping and fly tipping analysis for Brighton and the South East for a more regional analysis.

And Finally…

Thanks for reading! We hope you found our fly-tipping analysis of London useful. For further info, take a look at our interactive fly tipping map of London. This fully filterable map shows the rates of fly tipping per 1000 people in each borough within London and is based on the latest Defra statistics. Join us in the fight against fly-tipping.

interactive fly tipping map of London councils

 



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