Wandsworth Council is set to scrap its free bulky waste collection service as part of a plan to invest more in street cleaning and enforcement. The move, discussed at the Environment Overview and Scrutiny Committee meeting on Wednesday, September 23, 2026, aims to address budget shortfalls and improve the borough's cleanliness.

Councillor Paul White questioned the decision, arguing that the free bulky waste collections, introduced just 18 months prior, had coincided with a decline in fly-tipping. He expressed concern that scrapping the service could lead to an increase in illegal dumping.

However, Councillor Brooks, the Cabinet Member for the Environment, countered that the council faces a significant budget gap due to reduced government grant funding. He disputed the link between free bulky waste collections and a reduction in fly-tipping, citing an increase in the total tonnage of fly-tipped waste collected since the service began. Councillor Brooks suggested that those who use the council's bulky waste service are distinct from those who fly-tip. He also stated that the free bulky waste collection service had a budget of approximately £600,000 but was costing £1 million a year, and that scrapping it would allow the council to confidently invest in a much expanded set of street cleaning and jet washing.

Councillor Tom Pridham also corrected the notion that the service was free, stating it was taxpayer-funded. He noted that only a small percentage of households, around 7% in some wards, had utilized the service, questioning its popularity.

Natasha Epstein, Director of Waste, introduced the report on investment in waste and street cleansing services, which includes proposals for enhanced enforcement and jet washing of high streets. Councillor Brooks emphasized that the decision to end free bulky waste collections would allow for confident investment in these improved street cleaning services, benefiting more residents.

The council's strategy for addressing potential increases in fly-tipping includes investing further in enforcement and improved street cleansing, with proposals for jet washing of high streets and a trial of stencils to discourage fly-tipping. Councillor Pridham had inquired about increasing fines for fly-tipping, to which Councillor Brooks responded that while fines were increased about a year ago, the council does not have complete control over their level as they are set by a process involving the Secretary of State and the Mayor of London.

The committee also discussed the reporting of fly-tipping statistics. Councillor White suggested that current methods may misrepresent different types of waste disposal, from early bin placement to large-scale dumping, and that it would be beneficial to examine whether we capture the sort of criminal element of fly tipping in the right proper way and then that could give us a small e-way to look at how we tackle it. Councillor Brooks agreed that further analysis and data needs to be applied to this, though no specific proposed changes to the reporting methodology were detailed.