Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what comparative assessment his Department has made of the potential correlation between fly-tipping rates and individual local authority disposal costs.

We want to minimise barriers to the responsible disposal of waste, as these could be contributing to issues such as fly-tipping. That is why we recently consulted on preventing Household Waste Recycling Centres (HWRCs) from charging householders to dispose of small-scale DIY waste and issued a call for evidence on the use of booking systems at HWRCs. We aim to publish HM Government’s response to this consultation before the end of the year.

A 2021 study conducted by Waste & Resources Action Programme (WRAP), on behalf of Defra, investigated the relationship between fly-tipping rates and Household Waste Recycling Centres (HWRCs) charging. It found little to no evidence of a relationship between fly-tipping rates and HWRC charging, but it acknowledged that further work was needed to draw firm conclusions. The report can be found here: The relationship between fly-tipping rates and HWRC charging | WRAP. Last year we commissioned research into the drivers, deterrents and impacts of fly-tipping. It suggested that any friction in the services provided by local authorities, such as charges for waste disposal services, may impact on levels of fly-tipping.