Twenty-two local Welsh authorities have seen an overall rise in fly tipping from 19,000 incidents in 2005 to over 62,000 in 2008.
Newport has seen the biggest cost in clearing up, with an increase of 2,600% in spending over three years.
The Problems
Rubbish is dumped illegally all over South Wales from public places like beaches to private land such as farms.
Jeanie Gray, Policy Manager from Keep Wales Tidy, says fly tipping can not only be unsightly but can damage the environment and lead to social problems.
Some of the rubbish dumped contains lethal chemicals and pollutants. These can get into the water system, affecting both animals and humans.
Additionally the unsightly rubbish can attract vermin leading to health problems in local communities.
Areas where rubbish is left can often be perceived as unsafe and rundown. This is called 'the broken window effect' and is common in fly tipping. Once an place becomes a spot for fly tippers, more rubbish is dumped leading to the social degradation of an area.
Rogue Traders
Fly tipping can be big business. Cardiff council says the main instigators of fly tipping come from illegal companies advertising cheap ways of getting rid of rubbish.
Unlicensed, it's assumed these 'rogue traders' are not taking the rubbish to legal disposal sites but to roadsides and private land.
An advert on the back of the local paper advertises rubbish collection for £10, a small price for convenience.
But Cardiff Council say that although the cheap cost to the consumer may seem an attractive proposal, it will actually end up costing them more in the end, as tax payers foot the bill for the clean up.
Shadow Environment Minister, Darren Miller argues that 'Unless there is a real deterrent then the problem will only get worse and in turn cost us all more'.
'Misleading Figures'
The figures are published on the DEFRA website by Flycapture, an organisation set up by the Environment Agency Wales and the Assembly Government, to monitor the growth of fly tipping.
They have only been collecting data since 2004, so the figures could be misleading according to Keep Wales Tidy. They argue the sudden rise could be down to better recording of fly tipping.
The Environment Agency sees the figures as a success, saying their campaign to raise awareness in reporting of fly tipping has worked leading to a 25% rise in prosecutions from 2006/07 to 2007/08.
What is being done?
Cardiff Council are using tracking systems and forensics to find the culprits. And undercover work to track the 'rogue traders' is being undertaken in key sites across Cardiff.
'Pride in our Communities' is an initiative run by the Environment Agency and the Assembly to make people responisble for their waste through education, engaging with the local communities and enforcement.
Schemes run by the council are in place to dispose of rubbish provided by the council, but the lack of awareness means people still resort to fly tipping.
