Newport has seen a surge in the number of people illegally dumping their waste in the town — but residents trying to fight back as they call on the government to help
19:01, 28 Jan 2026Updated 20:06, 28 Jan 2026
Residents are angry at the amount of illegal dumping in Newport(Image: WALES NEWS SERVICE)
Residents in a sleepy Welsh town are trying to fight back against illegal flytipping on their streets. It comes despite new figures showing a 6,000% increase in illegal dumping in the town.
Newport in Wales is often seen as a picturesque city, filled with small houses, a beautiful marina and a charming and friendly people. But in recent years, it has been blighted with rubbish as people come from far and wide to dump their trash with no rhyme or reason.
Now, locals in the town are calling for the local government to step in as they fear they are fighting a losing battle against the flytipping.
Flytipping has blighted the Druffyn area of Newport as residents have argued this has been going on for decades(Image: WALES NEWS SERVICE)
With the cost of throwing things away only getting higher, they say the problem is only getting worse. According to the Daily Mail, the illegal dumping site is filled with electrical equipment, old tyres and even ripped sofas as the town is becoming snowed under with rubbish.
Locals in the area have said their town is becoming an eyesore, saying the rubbish problem has become a “pandemic” — with some being unable to sell their homes due to the piles of rubbish mounting up. Zoey Newton-Karbautski Scott is part of a group attempting to clean the flytipping areas in the Duffryn district of the Welsh city.
She said, however, no matter how much they try to clean the area, the trash just keeps coming. “It is an ongoing problem,” she explained, “they come along and either dump their rubbish or try to burn it; people cannot be bothered.
Drivers are coming from near and far to dump their rubbish illegally on the outskirts of the city(Image: WALES NEWS SERVICE)
“Not many people walk towards the back of the properties in Duffryn so it’s an easy place for them to fly tip.” She added that ever since COVID, the flytipping has only gotten worse, suggesting that new rules to log in and book a slot to dispose of goods, instead of simply going to a recycling centre, could be to blame. However, she admitted that she does not have much hope of the problem being sorted.
“I don’t think we will ever win the war on fly tipping,” Zoey lamented. “Someone must know why these people are choosing to dump their rubbish all the time.”
Another resident, Ellen Law, has lived in the city for decades, and said that fly tipping has been a problem since the 1990s. She said that the problem is so widespread, it is almost being set up as a “business” venture.
Newport residents have admitted they afraid they will never win the war against flytipping(Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto)
She also shared her concerns on the environment, saying that the wildlife in the local area will be completely decimated if people are not careful. “The community has battered — but there is a point if you think about the wildlife surviving this,” she admitted.
In a statement, Newport City Council said there was “absolutely no excuse” for people coming to the city and illegally dump their unwanted item. The local authority went on to slam people who come from near and far to fly tip, saying they are the ones who are “blighting our communities”.
“Newport City Council works closely with our community cleaning groups, like the Friends of Rabbit Hill, and really appreciate the work they do in their neighbourhoods; our councillors often join their litter picks,” the authority added. “It is disappointing that other people do not share the same pride in their communities and litter or fly-tip.”
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