Fly-tipping – the illegal dumping of waste – is on the rise across England, with more than 40% of incidents taking place in London in 2014-2015. This included 100,000 instances of dumped black bags, almost 10,000 fridges, washing machines and other white goods, and 1,600 animal carcasses. In fact, one particular example in east London known as the “fridge mountain” – a 20ft high pile of discarded fridges that was eventually removed – inspired a pop-up cinema made of fridge parts in the run-up to the 2012 Olympics.
“This is a weirdly retro occurrence, like a surge in smoking,” says Patrick Barkham of the resurgence of fly-tipping in England, which decreased between 2007 and 2013 before rising again. Possible reasons range from a “throwaway society” overburdened with possessions to local authority cuts to waste disposal services.
But illegal waste dumping isn’t just a problem in English cities. From fridges on street corners to furniture in car parks and mountains of rubbish bags dotted across town, wherever you are in the world share your photos and stories of fly-tipping in your city and the impact it has. You can submit photos and stories using GuardianWitness and we’ll feature a selection on Guardian Cities.
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