Council staff have speculated that lockdown-inspired clear-outs may explain the rise in abandoned waste.
In 2020, there were a hefty 3,195 flytipping incidents reported to Wiltshire Council by concerned residents. Freedom of Information data shows there were 2,787 cases in 2019, and 2,876 the year before, in 2018.
Cllr Bridget Wayman, Wiltshire Council cabinet member for waste, told the Gazette: “The number of flytipping incidents reported to us fell in 2018, and again in 2019.
"Sadly, we saw an increase in reported cases in 2020. This rise may be due to the lockdowns that occurred in 2020, which gave people more time to have clear outs and created more waste to dispose of.