Illegal dumping is a particular type of littering where people go out of their way to dump their rubbish. This is usually
in an area where they think they will not be seen such as National Parks, bushland reserves, parks, industrial and building
sites or interestingly, outside charity bins and stores and median strips.
The most commonly dumped materials include abandoned cars, domestic and garden waste, white goods and furniture, tyres and
construction and demolition waste. More recently, there has been an increase in the amount of hazardous materials found
illegally dumped including industrial waste, oil and other liquid waste, asbestos and medicinal waste. Encouragingly,
cars are becoming less common now due to metal recycling.
Unfortunately the impacts of illegal dumping are not confined to the high cost of removing the rubbish from these
dumping sites. Other impacts include:
contamination of our precious groundwater and drinking water catchment through dumping of chemicals
spread of weeds and increased fire risk from dumped green waste
hazards from dumped cars and other appliances and equipment
Decrease in visual amenity and land values.
This type of littering is most serious not only because of the quantity and potential hazard as well as the fact that people are intentionally littering with little concern for the way it will affect others.
What to do with your rubbish?
There are many ways to get rid of unwanted rubbish without resorting to dumping. You can:
Utilise bulk rubbish and green waste pick ups
Contact your local council to find out whether they offer free or reduced rate skip bins
Utilise kerb side recycling facilities to reduce your overall waste content
Contact your council to find out about your local recycling and waste disposal facilities eg metal; tyres; cardboard.
