Fly tipping is when someone dumps rubbish illegally instead of getting rid of it properly. It might be an old mattress left in an alleyway, a pile of builders’ rubble on a grass verge, or bags of household rubbish thrown into a country lane. It looks awful, it can be dangerous, and somebody has to clean it up.
In Basildon, Clearaway helps Basildon Council with fly tipping clearance. We collect dumped waste and bring it back to our own site in Basildon, where we sort it and recycle as much of it as we can. This guide explains how that works, what happens to the waste, and what you can do if you spot fly tipping near you.
Why fly tipping is such a big problem
Fly tipping is not just untidy. It causes real harm to people, wildlife and the places we live.
The numbers show how common it is. According to the government’s fly-tipping statistics for England, councils dealt with 1.26 million fly tipping incidents in 2024/25. That was 9% more than the year before.
- 62% of fly tips contained household waste
- 37% were dumped on roads and pavements
- 31% were about the size of a small van load
Dumped waste can block paths and roads, attract rats and other pests, and leak harmful liquids into the ground and nearby streams. You can find out more in our guide to the environmental impacts of improper waste disposal.
How our fly tipping clearance works
Every fly tip is different, but our fly tipping removal work for the council follows the same simple steps.
1. The fly tip is reported. Members of the public or council staff report dumped waste to Basildon Council, and the council passes the job on.
2. Our team arrives on site. We send the right vehicle for the size of the job. A few bags or a single sofa needs far less space than a lorry load of building waste.
3. The waste is loaded safely. Our drivers wear the right protective kit and check what has been dumped before they lift anything. Fly tips can hide sharp or harmful items, so we never rush this part.
4. The area is left clear. We pick up everything that was dumped, including smaller bits of litter around the main pile, so the street or verge is left clean.
5. The load goes to our Basildon site. Instead of being sent straight to landfill, the waste comes back to our recycling centre in Basildon to be sorted.
What happens to dumped waste at our site
This is where fly tipping clearance turns into recycling. Our site can process over 200,000 tonnes of waste every year, and we aim to reuse, recycle or recover 100% of the materials we receive.
When a load arrives, it goes through the same careful process as every other load:
- The vehicle is weighed and the load is checked before it is accepted
- The waste is tipped and put through a large shredder, which breaks it down into pieces no bigger than 450mm
- Our skilled picking team pulls out larger items that can be recycled
- Smaller pieces move on to machines that sort them by type
- Magnets pull out steel and iron, and other machines separate out aluminium
Our site takes non-hazardous waste. If a fly tip contains something that could be dangerous, such as chemicals or asbestos, it is not mixed in with the general load and needs to be dealt with through the correct route.
If you want to follow the whole journey, read our guide on what happens to your waste after it’s collected by Clearaway.
What commonly dumped items become
| Commonly dumped item | What we do with it | What it can become |
|---|---|---|
| Mattresses | Sent on to a specialist mattress recycling facility | Steel springs are melted down for new steel, and foam can be reused in things like carpet underlay |
| Sofas and armchairs | Handled as POPs waste, because the padding can contain harmful chemicals | Safely treated so the chemicals cannot escape into the environment |
| Metal items, such as bikes and old appliances | Pulled out by our picking team and magnets | New steel and metal products |
| Cardboard and paper | Separated from other waste | Pulped and made into new paper and packaging |
| Plastic | Sorted by type | Shredded, melted into pellets and made into new products |
| Garden waste | Separated from general rubbish | Composted |
| Rubble and hardcore | Separated from lighter waste | Recovered so it can be reused rather than buried |
Sofas and armchairs need extra care. Their foam and fabric can contain chemicals called persistent organic pollutants, or POPs for short. These do not break down easily, so they must not be shredded and mixed with everything else. We are approved by the Environment Agency to handle this waste through our POPs disposal service.
What to do if you spot fly tipping in Basildon
If you find dumped waste, you can help get it cleared quickly. Here is what to do:
- Do not touch it. Fly-tips can contain broken glass, needles, chemicals or asbestos.
- Do not open bags. You never know what is inside.
- Make a note of the details. Write down where it is, what it looks like and roughly how much there is.
- Take a photo if it is safe. Only do this if you can stay well back.
- Note any vehicle details. If you saw someone dumping waste, write down the vehicle type, colour and number plate, but never approach them.
- Report it to Basildon Council. The council can then arrange for it to be cleared.
How to make sure your waste is not fly-tipped
Sometimes people end up linked to fly tipping without meaning to. This happens when they pay someone cheap to take their rubbish away, and that person dumps it instead.
By law, you are responsible for your own waste until it is handed to someone who is allowed to carry it. If your rubbish is found dumped, you could be fined, even if you did not dump it yourself.
Before you let anyone take your waste away:
- Ask to see their waste carrier licence
- Ask where your waste will be taken
- Be wary of very cheap offers from people who contact you on social media or turn up at your door
- Get a receipt that shows who took the waste
Clearaway is BSI certified and approved by the Environment Agency, and every load we collect comes back to our own site in Basildon. That means you always know exactly where your waste is going.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who clears fly tipping in Basildon?
Fly tipping on public land is the council’s job to deal with. In Basildon, Clearaway helps the council with fly tipping clearance, collecting dumped waste and taking it back to our site to be sorted and recycled.
Is dumped waste just sent to landfill?
Not when we collect it. Every load comes back to our Basildon site, where we aim to reuse, recycle or recover 100% of the materials we receive.
What is the fine for fly tipping?
Councils can give fines of up to £1,000 for fly tipping. More serious cases can go to court, where the punishment can be much bigger and can even include prison.
What is the most common type of fly tipping?
Household waste is the most common. Across England, it made up 62% of all fly-tips in 2024/25.
Get in Touch
Clearaway is a family-run waste management company that has been based in Basildon for over 20 years. We are proud to help keep our local area clean and to make sure as much dumped waste as possible gets a second life. To find out more about our waste collection and recycling services, call our friendly team on 01268 520166.
