Will Ealing Council's Campaign Against Fly-tipping Work?

Reliance on increased fines and raised awareness criticised

A fly-tip by Southall Common. Picture: Ealing Council

June 12, 2025

Ealing Council has announced a renewed crackdown on fly-tipping after revealing illegal dumping costs the borough £3million a year.

It has issued 181 fines since the introduction of charges of £1,000 for those found guilty of fly-tipping at the beginning of last month. The council now boasts that its zero-tolerance approach has led to it handing out more fly-tipping fines than any other London borough, despite not being among the boroughs with the highest number of reported incidents

In one example a fly-tip on Southall Common was investigated, and the waste was found to belong to a resident in Feltham, who paid someone to take away their rubbish without checking for a valid waste carrier’s licence. The person received a fine for breaching their householder duty of care.

Alongside issuing fines, the council has also launched its awareness campaign ‘This is our home, not a tip’ which aims to increase awareness of the impact of fly-tipping. The campaign reminds people of the importance of putting out waste for collection on the correct day and the services provided by the council for getting rid of waste as well as informing residents how they can report fly-tips.

The council says that Greener Ealing Ltd, its rubbish and recycling contractor, collects 98% of reported fly-tips are collected within 2 working days..

Alongside the campaign, and fines, the council also works directly with residents – especially with the community group LAGER Can, which organises regular litter picks and reports fly-tips its members come across.

However, at a recent meeting of the council, Liberal Democrat Cllr Connie Hersch questioned whether the council’s reliance on hefty fines and raising awareness would be enough to reduce the epidemic of flytipping.

She outlined a series of proactive measures that she believes would be more effective. These include a deposit bin for small electrical items in every ward, a tackling of the problem of refuse collection from flats above shops and cheaper bulky waste collection and community skips for small household items.

Cllr Heasch said, “Liberal Democrats have said that rubbish on our streets is not just unsightly but potentially hazardous. It also contributes to the impression of social decline in the neighbourhood. Liberal Democrats have put forward several practical proposals, that have worked elsewhere in London, to address the epidemic of fly tipping but none have been accepted by the Ealing Labour party. Liberal Democrats in Ealing are the official opposition, and we have put forward positive solutions to preventing some of the issues. It is a shame that Ealing Labour want to bury their heads in the sand and avoid listening to suggestions that work elsewhere.”

The council responded to her proposals by saying that the measures already in place would be effective in tackling the problem.

Council leader Peter Mason said, “Fly-tipping damages our environment and our sense of community. We are committed to taking strong action against criminal wasters and our enforcement teams are working hard to investigate illegal dumping across the borough. Fly-tippers, you will be caught, and you will be fined.”

You can report fly-tipping via the Love Clean Streets app or the council website.

Visit the council’s website to find out how to properly dispose of your waste, including details of the bulky waste collection service.