A **fly-tipper** is a person who illegally dumps waste or rubbish in an unauthorized place, such as on roadside verges, in lay-bys, on private land, in fields, or alleys, instead of disposing of it properly (e.g., at a licensed tip/recycling center).
The term comes from British English:
- “Fly” = to do something quickly and secretly (as in “on the fly”)
- “Tipping” = dumping or unloading rubbish (from the old mining/coal terminology where waste was “tipped” from trucks)
So “fly-tipping” literally means quickly and covertly tipping waste where you’re not supposed to.
It’s a criminal offense in the UK and many other countries, with penalties ranging from fixed-penalty fines to hefty court fines or even imprisonment for large-scale or repeat offenders. Common examples include builders dumping construction waste, householders getting rid of old furniture/sofas, or rogue traders charging to take rubbish away and then fly-tipping it to avoid disposal fees.
In short: a fly-tipper is an illegal dumper of trash.
It’s practically a sacrament in Appalachia. Every holler becomes a tire and appliance dump.
I also had to Google Fly Tippers. when I started to visit sites like Daily Mail. At first, I thought it was something to do with Fly Fishing or maybe a Fly as with Baseball, but I was pretty sure the English don’t play Baseball in any big manner. There’s the Fly of a zipper and the Fly that buzzes around smelly waste. Those were ruled out too. Then I threw in the proverbial towel and put it in Search. Lo and behold!