AI cameras to crack down on fly-tipping as incidents increase year-on-year in Peterborough

Fly-tipping has increased year-on-year over the past five years in Peterborough, with the number of incidents now routinely topping 10,000.

Last year, 11,972 incidents were recorded in the city, compared to 11,848 in 2021, 11,517 in 2020, 9,748 in 2019 and 9,337 in 2,018.

The figure for January to September this year is 9,480, with hundreds more incidents expected between October and December.

Peterborough City Council (PCC) says it is deploying cameras using AI (artificial intelligence) to try to catch offenders who illegally dump waste.

The cameras can assist in evidence gathering by identifying images of suspected dumped rubbish, helping pinpoint the moment it appeared and any suspicious activity.

PCC says that this could help improve enforcement rates. Between April 2022 and March 2023, 107 Fixed Penalty Notices were issued for fly-tipping and 34 cases prepared for court action – while more than 12,000 incidents were recorded.

Proper disposal of waste appears to have worsened during the pandemic.

PCC says that: “Residual waste tonnages [have] reduced significantly from the high levels experienced during the pandemic”, which is “having a positive impact on the recycling rate”.

This has indeed improved slightly; the most recent figures put it at just under 45 per cent, up from 39 per cent in 2021/22.

The council says it’s engaged in an education programme to encourage more residents to recycle.