Fly-Tipping Crisis & £75k Fine Risk: Is Blaenau Gwent's Bulky Waste Fee the Problem?

Scrapping Bulky Waste Fees: Why It Matters for Blaenau Gwent’s Clean Streets, Recycling Targets, and Our Wallets

Today I challenged officers at the Economic Development and Environment Management Scrutiny Committee on a simple, urgent question: are our bulky waste charges making the fly-tipping crisis worse—and are they costing us more than they save?

This follows the formal email I sent to Councillor Tommy Smith (Executive Member for Neighbourhood & Environment Services) calling for the complete removal of bulky waste collection fees across Blaenau Gwent. Here’s what I asked for, why it matters, and what happened in the meeting.

The current problem: rising fly-tipping, rising frustration

Across Ebbw Vale South—and borough-wide—residents are fed up with back lanes turning into dumping grounds. Items like fridge-freezers, mattresses, and furniture are being dumped in plain sight. This is not only degrading our environment and health standards; it’s draining community pride.

Under the current bulky waste collection scheme:

• Charges start at £6.90 for one item.

• A three-piece suite is treated as three items (£20.70 total).

• An American-style fridge-freezer costs £27.60.

• No assisted collections; no refunds for missed pickups due to access. These rules and fees, for many households, are a barrier to proper disposal. The result is predictable: more fly-tipping.

Reference: The council’s bulky waste scheme is outlined here: Blaenau Gwent Bulky Waste Collection Service

The bigger picture: we nearly hit the recycling target—but not quite

According to the Waste and Recycling Annual Performance 2024–25 report:

• Our recycling rate increased from 66.18% to 68.89%—good progress.

• But we missed the 70% statutory target by 1.11 percentage points.

• That shortfall equates to 376 tonnes.

• The potential fine from Welsh Government is £200 per tonne below target—an estimated £75,200 exposure.

That’s money we could be spending on clean-ups, reuse partnerships, better services—and not on penalties.

What I argued in the meeting

I pressed officers on whether scrapping bulky waste fees—and redesigning the bulky service to maximise reuse and recycling—could:

• Reduce fly-tipping (and its clean-up costs).

• Boost reuse and recycling tonnage (furniture, WEEE, metals, wood, mattresses) to help close the 376-tonne gap and meet 70%.

• Improve fairness and access through assisted collections for those who need it.

• Deliver a better net financial outcome by offsetting fee income loss with:

  • Avoided fly-tipping and enforcement costs

  • Lower residual disposal costs

  • Potentially avoiding the £75,200 fine

Why this makes sense

• Cleaner streets, healthier communities: Removing fees removes excuses—and makes compliant disposal the easy choice.

• More recycling, less residual: Bulky items can be routed to reuse (furniture), WEEE recycling, wood and metal streams, and mattress deconstruction—improving our recycling rate.

• Better value for money: If we can prevent fly-tipping and avoid the potential fine, the policy could pay for itself.

What I want to see next

• A rapid officer report setting out the costs and benefits of fee removal and alternatives.

• Immediate operational steps to ramp up reuse and stream-segregated recycling at kerbside and HWRCs.

• Assisted collections for vulnerable residents.

• A targeted clean-up and engagement push in Ebbw Vale South, then borough-wide.

How you can help

• Report fly-tipping with a photo and location—let’s get it cleared quickly.

• Share this post, talk to neighbours, and support a common-sense change to bulky waste policy.

• Join the call to #TidyEbbwVale and restore pride to our streets.

I’ll keep pushing for an evidence-led decision that cleans up our communities, boosts recycling, and avoids avoidable fines. If you’ve got examples or ideas, reply or email me directly.