Editor“Don’t waste our future”: Pupils and celebrity artist hit back at fly-tippers with bold mural in Neath Port Talbot
The striking new mural, splashed across a corrugated wall near Ysgol Melin, features piercing green eyes and a bilingual warning: “No fly tipping — don’t waste our future.” It’s bold, it’s angry, and it’s built from the ideas of Year 5 pupils who’ve had enough of rubbish dumped in their streets.
A Ysgol Melin pupil helps paint the mural during a hands‑on workshop led by Welsh portrait artist Nathan Wyburn.Nathan Wyburn begins transforming the wall with a bold green base coat before adding the mural’s dramatic portrait.Artist Nathan Wyburn talks pupils through the mural’s design, inspired by their own sketches and anti‑litter messages.Artist Nathan Wyburn adds finishing touches to the mural as dumped furniture highlights the impact of fly‑tipping.Nathan Wyburn, known for creating portraits out of Marmite, glitter and even burnt toast — and for appearing on Britain’s Got Talent — led the project after a hands-on workshop with the children and Neath Port Talbot Council. The kids didn’t just paint — they helped design the whole thing, from the message to the mood.
Discarded furniture and waste were piled in front of the mural during the unveiling, hammering home the point: this is what fly-tipping looks like, and this is what it does to communities.
Ysgol Melin pupils join artist Nathan Wyburn in front of their anti‑fly‑tipping mural, surrounded by dumped items collected from the area.Cllr Scott Jones, Cabinet Member for Streetscene, said:
“We’re incredibly proud of the progress we’ve made in Neath Port Talbot. This year alone we achieved a 26% reduction in fly-tipping incidents – one of the largest decreases across all Welsh local authorities.”
Benjamin Meredith-Davies from Fly-tipping Action Wales added:
“This mural is more than artwork — it’s a call to action. These kids care deeply about their community, and they’ve used art to spark real conversations about waste and respect.”
The finished mural features piercing green eyes and a bilingual warning against fly‑tipping, created with ideas from Ysgol Melin pupils.The mural is part of a wider push to clean up Wales and crack down on illegal dumping. But it’s also a reminder that the next generation isn’t waiting quietly — they’re picking up paint rollers and making noise.
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