fly-tipping en · NOUN
Etymology
From the verb tip (“to dump (refuse)”), and on the fly (“spontaneously or extemporaneously”).
Meanings
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(UK, uncountable) The illegal dumping of rubbish on unauthorised sites.
What can be done about fly-tipping? It’s one of the great scourges of the modern countryside – and it’s getting worse. Fly-tipping – the illegal dumping of rubbish on public land, farmland, laybys and country lanes – has soared to an all-time high in England, according to new statistics released by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA). In 2024–25, 1.26m fly-tipping incidents were recorded by local authorities, an increase of almost 9% on the 1.15m reported for the previous year. These figures do not include waste cleared by private landowners from their land. Convicted fly-tippers can receive a significant fine, a community sentence or even a prison sentence. While fixed penalty notices for fly-tipping have increased by 9% over the past year, court fines have decreased by the same percentage. The picture in parts of Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland is similarly dismal. Many fly-tippers are getting away with it. It’s not just the odd mattress or bag of nappies. Some of the worst instances involve massive volumes of waste.
2026 June 14, “Fly-tipping is destroying our countryside – here’s how to stop this disgraceful trend”, in BBC Countryfile Magazine:Ten tonnes of rubbish have been removed by Network Rail from a trackside fly-tipping hotspot north of the station.
2021 June 16, Howard Johnston, “Regional News: Eastern: Hartlepool”, in RAIL, number 933, page 26:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| flytipping | alternative | lexicographic |