Litter and fly tipping benefits no-one, including the person doing it, because we all end up paying for it either financially, environmentally, or socially. Devon authorities spend about £7m annually keeping the County clean, and without these services, the cleanliness of our local environments including streets, highways and countryside would deteriorate rapidly.
The Clean Devon Partnership records around 10,000 incidents of fly tipping every year and so working with business, landowners and residents, is working to tackle this anti-social behaviour. Beyond the estimated £1bn spent on clearing litter and fly tipping in the UK annually, these thoughtless activities also damage communities, the environment and seriously impacting on people’s well-being.
Because litter and fly tipping is uncontrolled, it can enter watercourses, block drains – leading to flooding, and contribute to the 80% of ocean plastic originating from land based sources. Litter and fly tipping not only looks bad, it causes injury and death to insects, wildlife and livestock.
Litter and fly tipping is costly, polluting, avoidable and unnecessary so yes, it really is that bad.
For further information about the impacts of waste crime see the Environment Agency National Waste Crime Survey (2023)