Challenges
During the Our Manchester Strategy consultations and through community feedback, we have found:
- some residents pay people to remove items, who aren't licenced to do it legally. The unlicensed people may then dump the items and/or rubbish. Residents often don’t know the items are still their responsibility
- many people think punishments, such as fines, are unlikely. They think that fly-tippers or litterers aren't caught
- some people think the quick removing of dumped rubbish, makes it less of a problem
- people said options for getting rid of rubbish and unwanted items are not clear
- residents said they need more visible enforcement, better messages, and campaigns. These could make it clearer that dealing with rubbish is their personal responsibility.
What’s causing fly‑tipping and litter in Manchester?
- Lack of local pride. Rubbish in an area can make people feel comfortable about dumping more rubbish. That makes people feel less proud about where they live.
- Quick action to remove dumped rubbish is seen as a free collection service. This weakens any threat of punishment.
- People moving in and out of rental properties creates a lot of unwanted items and rubbish. Landlords and those moving in or out often use unlicenced people to remove the rubbish or items.
- Items dumped in water, on transport (like railways) or some roads, can be difficult to clear. This requires special equipment and a lot of work.
- A lack of good evidence, like CCTV, makes it difficult to catch people. This makes prosecutions harder.
How we can improve
- Support a sense of local ‘ownership’. We can encourage residents to think about how they can make their areas look and feel cleaner. This will boost civic pride in where they live.
- When clearing items we can deliver clear messaging about responsibility. We can give examples of when people have been caught fly-tipping or littering.
- Engage more with landlords and letting‑agents. We can encourage people to check if removal firms have licenses. We can also consider take‑back and reuse options for some items, like fridges or washing machines.
- Continue to work with partners. These include the Canals and Rivers Trust, National Highways, Network Rail. We can also work with water and power companies to make clearing rubbish easier.
- Let the public know more about action we have taken against fly-tippers and litterers. We can improve reporting systems. For example we can make it easier for residents to provide evidence.