The fight to stop fly-tipping in one Greater Manchester town

A new campaign to crackdown on people fly-tipping household and commercial waste has been launched by the Greater Manchester Combined Authority and Trafford council. Town hall chiefs say illegally dumping rubbish costs the council tens of thousands of pounds to clean up and leaves neighbourhoods looking a mess.

From January to April 2024, almost 100 tonnes of fly-tipping was removed in the borough by the One Trafford Partnership. Many of the items dumped could have been recycled, donated or even sold secondhand. Clearing up fly-tipping costs the council essential budget which could be spent on alternative services for residents, like schools, libraries and adult social care, bosses say.

Waste dumped by traders also made up a proportion of rubbish and residents are being urged to make sure to know exactly where their waste goes if they pay someone to remove it. Residents can check this by asking waste removal companies for a valid waste licence. Residents could face up to £50,000 in fines if they are caught fly-tipping and fined in a magistrates' court or could get a £400 fixed penalty notice.

READ MORE: The murder trial that ended in yet more violence

Council officials say there are lots of options available for everyone to remove or rehome unwanted items. The One Trafford Partnership, a collaboration between Trafford Council and its contractor Amey, have a bulky waste collection service, where up to five items can be collected for just £40.

Many local charity shops also accept furniture. Many of these work on a collection basis. Alternatively, Recycle for Greater Manchester has a re-use facility at its Woodhouse Lane depot. Visit their website to find out what they accept and find your nearest recycling centre.

Residents can visit www.trafford.gov.uk/bulkywaste to book a bulky waste collection and to find out more about alternatives ways to recycle large items. The new campaign from will feature social media posts and a prominent advertising board above the White City roundabout, to deter anyone from fly-tipping or passing their waste to unregistered waste carriers.

A spokesperson from Trafford council said: “Fly-tipping costs the council tens of thousands of pounds every year to clean up, not only costing the public pocket but also our environment. It’s everyone’s responsibility to dispose and recycle unwanted items properly. There are lots of sustainable ways to dispose of large unwanted items, in a way that is good for the planet but can also support our communities here in Trafford.

"We hope this new campaign will reach the small proportion of people who do engage in fly-tipping, and make them think twice before dumping trade or household rubbish.”