Drivers for the fly-tipping of household bulky waste in England

Abstract

Household bulky waste, defined as ‘any large items you would normally take with you when moving house’ constitutes 56% of fly-tipped household waste. Although fly-tipping, especially the disposal of the bulky household waste stream by way of fly-tipping, is little studied, it causes a wide range of social and environmental problems. Legitimate means of disposal available to householders include council collection, household waste recycling centres, private companies and charities. This study was aimed at identifying the key drivers for fly-tipping bulky wastes using the county of Hampshire, UK as a case study area. The study indicates that fly-tipping of bulky items is a significant problem, particularly in areas of high deprivation and population density, and areas with a large proportion of rented accommodation. The findings also illustrate the distinct service requirements of different age groups and that no single, generic approach to bulky waste management can be applied universally.