Tech trash trouble: Plymouth tops study of worst spots for electrical fly-tipping

England’s hotspots for illegal electrical dumping

Plymouth is the worst spot in England for electrical fly-tipping, a new study has found.  

Eco-friendly rubbish removal company Hippo Waste analysed the latest data from the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs on fly-tipping statistics for each local authority in England from April 2022 until March 2023. The number of electrical fly-tipping reports (excluding white goods like fridges) was found for each council area and compared with population size. The areas were then ranked based on the highest number of incidents per 1,000 residents.   

Table: England’s local authorities with the highest number of electrical fly-tipping incidents per 1,000 people

Plymouth ranks as England’s worst spot for electrical fly-tipping. Between April 2022 and March 2023, reports reached 1,076, at a rate of 4.03 incidents per 1,000 people.   

Lewisham misses out on the top spot, averaging 3.67 incidents per 1,000 residents. While electrical fly-tipping is common, green waste and white goods are illegally dumped more frequently in the London borough, with 3,042 and 1,300 reports, respectively.

Two South East areas, Reigate and Banstead and Southampton, claim third and fourth place. In Reigate and Banstead, 505 incidents of electrical fly-tipping were recorded at a rate of 3.29 per 1,000 residents. Despite ranking slightly lower in the list, only illegal black bag dumping and household waste were more common than electrical fly-tipping in Southampton. Across the local authority, 2.92 reports of electrical fly-tipping were made for every 1,000 locals.

London continues to dominate the study, with seven of the 20 worst spots for illegal electrical dumping in the country found in the capital. Haringey, Merton, and Kingston upon Thames rank fifth, seventh and eighth, while Hackney and Ealing come 11th and 12th.

Ranking sixth overall, Redcar and Cleveland is the North East’s worst spot for electrical fly-tipping. Reports of illegal electrical dumping reached 256 over the 12 months from April 2022 to March 2023, at a rate of 1.87 incidents per 1,000 locals.

Allerdale takes ninth place and is highest among spots in the North West. Reports of electrical fly-tipping, recorded by the council, reached 145, averaging 1.5 incidents per 1,000 people. 

Norwich and Lincoln secure 10th and 13th positions in the study, while Hart and Newcastle-upon-Tyne rank 14th and 15th.  

Sunderland and Liverpool also feature among the top 20 electrical fly-tipping hotspots, averaging 1.02 and 0.82 incidents per 1,000 locals, respectively.  

Gareth Lloyd Jones, Managing Director at Hippo Waste, commented on the study, “With Christmas approaching and technology and electronics being such a large category for gifts for people of all ages, it is important you know how to properly manage waste in the home. If you have unwanted electrical products like game consoles or old mobile devices, you should first check with places like local charity shops before considering a visit to your local recycling centre.

“People are reminded of the dangers and risks of fly-tipping, with illegal waste dumping not only an eyesore for locals but also a health hazard, creating potentially hazardous areas for children, adults and wildlife. Instead of illegally dumping your waste, you are urged to visit your nearest recycling centre to dispose of everything in the most environmentally friendly manner.”  

Featured Photo by Julia Joppien on Unsplash.