Waste Infrastructure, Fly-Tipping, and the Need for Change

Case Study

Images of overflowing bins and uncollected black sacks across Birmingham made national headlines earlier this year following industrial strike action. The immediate impact on waste services was keenly felt but the situation also exposed a more complex challenge in the way public behaviour changes when waste infrastructure systems break down.

An increase in opportunistic fly-tipping

With regular collections cancelled or delayed and household waste piling high on pavements, many residents faced difficult decisions about how and where to dispose of their rapidly accumulating waste. Unfortunately, the growing mounds of rubbish around parts of the city, seemingly created a chance for “fly-tipping opportunists” to dispose of bulky waste under the cover of chaos.

Reports describe people arriving by car or van from outside the immediate area to dump bulky items at known problem sites. One resident stated that, “[The waste] built up so much that it blocked the pathway. People couldn’t walk past, cars couldn’t get past… So when it gets to that kind of dangerous state, [the council] come and collect it. People know it gets cleared when it’s blocked off.”

This led to a situation where some individuals were deliberately adding to the piling rubbish problem, in the belief it would accelerate clean-up.

In many areas, furniture, renovation waste and even vehicle parts appeared. It is said that fly-tippers have been placing illegal waste alongside bin bags or masking it underneath rubbish. Generally, fly-tipping takes place in rural and remote locations after dark, for those involved to keep their identity concealed. However, in situations such as this where usual models have already broken down, fly-tippers can be more brazen with their actions.

Waste is no longer generated locally and dealt with properly. Instead, certain areas become known fly-tipping zones, with external individuals and rogue operators taking advantage of the breakdown in service.

The role of rogue traders

The role of unlicensed waste carriers and fly-tipping is an increasing concern. When tips are overwhelmed and residents become desperate to clear growing piles from their homes, some turn to low-cost removal services. In many cases, this waste is not disposed of responsibly.

Councils across the UK have reported growing numbers of incidents involving rogue operators who charge for removal, only to dump the waste illegally in alleyways, near parks or alongside communal bins. This activity undermines local efforts to keep neighbourhoods clean and puts additional strain on already stretched services.

Broader Takeaways

From crisis to case study

While the Birmingham strikes were a localised event, they underline wider vulnerabilities that affect many urban neighbourhoods, whether this be short term issues such as service disruption, or deeper challenges such as insufficient service, poor communication or inaccessible facilities. The fly-tipping seen here may be extreme but the behavioural patterns and infrastructure issues it reveals can be recognised elsewhere.

System breakdown and behavioural change

Periods of disruption often reveal how quickly behaviour can shift when waste services falter, a pattern that could occur anywhere.

When waste is left uncollected for weeks, a wider loss of confidence and trust in the system begins to take hold. In some areas, residents have reported giving up on recycling altogether, either due to overflowing containers or lack of clear information about collection schedules. Elsewhere, frustration and uncertainty have led to more ad hoc disposal choices that would otherwise be unthinkable.

Research into public waste behaviour has consistently shown that visible disorder increases the likelihood of further non-compliance. When a street corner already looks like a fly-tip, it becomes far easier for individuals to justify adding to the pile. Where infrastructure or communication fails, the negative behaviours that follow can quickly become entrenched.

Behavioural change expert, Livvy Drake, joined metroSTOR earlier this year to share her research and strategies related to fly-tipping and behavioural science. Livvy’s Fly-Tipping Solutions Guide notes that successful behaviour change is achieved by understanding what the barriers and enablers are for each behaviour. Understanding the motivation behind fly-tipping is crucial in reducing and preventing the same behaviour in the future.

You can find out more from metroSTOR on fly-tipping solutions and our work with Livvy, here.

Wider research from UK government and independent charities all note the complex and varied motivations behind fly-tipping, including:

Financial gain or saving by the perpetrator
A lack of waste disposal facilities or access to them
Laziness
An attitude that clearing the waste is someone else’s problem

Adding in a breakdown to an established management system, such as that in Birmingham this year, only intensifies the problem.

(House of Commons, Fly-Tipping: The illegal Dumping of Waste, Litter Strategy for England, Fresco)

Supporting better behaviours

For councils and landlords across the country, understanding infrastructure gaps is vital. In times of pressure, wider systematic weaknesses and resident trust in waste systems is revealed. In high-density and lower-income areas, waste infrastructure is often already under strain, with limited storage, poor design and barriers to disposal compounding problems.

This makes these neighbourhoods more vulnerable to negative perceptions and behavioural and targeted dumping. Much of the waste illegally fly-tipped in bulky with reports highlighting the “ludicrous” idea of “putting your bin out and leaving a chest freezer alongside it.”

Tackling the root problem of this bulky waste fly-tipping, involves investigation into the provision for bulky waste across the entire housing sector. Nationwide barriers to legitimate waste disposal include a lack of knowledge about recycling services as well as how and where to store bulky items on their way out. A lack of designated storage facilities leaves residents with limited options when awaiting collection of large items and so the negative cycle continues.

metroSTOR’s secure bulky waste storage units provide a short-term holding solution that addresses this gap, helping landlords and residents to reduce unsightly dumping and achieve responsible disposal behaviours, without needing to rely on rogue traders.

Addressing these challenges requires proactive steps over enforcement alone. Councils and housing providers must ensure that waste systems are visible, accessible and supported by clear information. Secure enclosures, clear signage and provision for bulky waste are all important in helping residents dispose of their waste responsibly, even during times of service disruption.

Ultimately, the times of disruption to regular service highlight how quickly waste management issues can become social and behavioural challenges. Without reliable services and suitable infrastructure, trust breaks down, bad habits take hold and the consequences can be severe.