Fly Tipping London Analysis 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 statistics, looking 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.
