Illegal dumping is an increasingly common issue for everyday Aussies, and involves the discarding of large quantities of waste on land or in water without proper approval. Busy schedules, a lack of education, and the overwhelming amounts of waste produced daily, can make it hard to find the time and energy to properly dispose of it.
However, proper waste disposal is a crucial part of keeping communities safe and healthy while protecting the environment and natural habitats.
If waste is illegally dumped on your property, by you or someone else, it’s your responsibility to process it properly. This guide will explain how to do that, helping you to take care of your property, your local community, and the environment.
Key Takeaways
- Illegal dumping is the improper disposal of waste in large quantities in land or on water (exceeding 50 litres or 50 kg)
- Illegal dumping can be both accidental or deliberate and carried out by individuals or commercial entities that result in hefty fines
- The impact of illegal dumping is considerable, and affects wildlife, natural habitats, community health and safety, and work site efficiency
- The Environmental Protection Authority has partnered with local governments to help reduce community waste through initiatives like Return & Earn, FOGO, and RIDOnline
- There are a variety of charitable organisations that can help you restore or donate furniture, appliances, and clothing, giving them a new life
- “If you’ve got too much waste to handle, 1300 Rubbish’s expert rubbish removal service will tackle any job from start to finish!
What Is Illegal Dumping?
Illegal dumping involves the disposal of large quantities of waste on land or in water without the correct approvals by an individual or commercial entity. These often take the form of an environmental protection licence or planning approval.
Quantities are regulated under the Protection of the Environment Operations Act 1997 (NSW) (POEO), which specifically states that dumping waste in excess of 50 litres or 50 kilograms in a public or open private area is an offence. Additional penalties apply to dumping in sensitive areas such as national parks, beaches, schools, hospitals, and more, as outlined by the Environment Protection Authority (EPA).
This can include both deliberate and accidental dumping, even on one’s own property, as improper disposal practices pose safety, health, and environmental concerns to communities and natural environments.
What Are The Most Common Types of Dumped Items and Waste?
The most common types of dumped items and waste are:
- Unwanted household items like kitchenware, appliances, and furniture
- Construction debris such as concrete, work tools, equipment, bricks, and rubble
- Recyclable or biodegradable materials like paper, plastic, and green waste
- Office furniture, stationery, and equipment
- Dangerous chemicals or materials that are toxic to humans, animals, or the environment
- Electrical waste, such as TV units, display screens, wires, batteries, and broken gaming consoles
Some of the most common dump sites include vacant lots, isolated areas, and outside charitable donation centres and shopfronts.
Why You Should Call Someone Immediately
It is important to report any illegal dumping you may come across, whether you are at fault or not. This is not only to ensure the health and safety of surrounding communities, but also to ensure you are not held legally responsible for the dumping.
Unfortunately, unless a dumpee is caught in the act, the property owner or resident is responsible for resolving the issue, meaning the onus will fall on you to clean up their act. When dumping does occur on private property, Council cannot undertake clean-up duties.
Not reporting illegal dumping can result in hefty fines, and, if the action is severe enough or it is a repeat offence, it can lead to jail time.
What To Do If You Are Experiencing Illegal Dumping
If you find illegally dumped goods or witness somebody dumping illegally, it is important to report the incident immediately to your local council.
Report Illegal Dumping
The first step to reporting illegal dumping is to identify the address of the dump site and include photos of the dumped waste in your report when possible. This can be best done through your council’s website.
Find your local council:
If this is a public area, such as a footpath or local park, your local council will deploy their waste contractors and cleansing team to collect the waste. You can also make a direct report to the EPA using RIDOnline.
Call Your Local Council
If you witness illegal dumping on your property, call your local council immediately to notify them of the incident.
If the offender cannot be identified, as the owner or resident of the property, it becomes your responsibility to manage the cleanup procedures.
Manage The Waste With A Clean Up
Council will give you an estimated time window of how long you have to dispose of the dumped waste. Within this time frame, it is up to you to call a disposal service or deal with the waste yourself. This may involve using your personal vehicle and tools.
While it is possible to conduct the clean up yourself, it can be daunting and time-consuming, often creating more work than it’s worth. And when toxic chemicals or hazardous debris are present, this can pose a risk to your safety.
When you become overwhelmed by the task, it is always best to utilise a professional disposal service for a quicker and easier clean up!
Prevent Illegal Dumping, Littering, and Mess
Looking after our community and planet is everyone’s responsibility. In order to prevent illegal dumping, littering, and mess, it is important to keep yourself and others accountable. If you spot illegal dumping, make a report to the EPA or contact your local council.
You can also do your part by organising unwanted items or materials and taking advantage of the services available for responsible waste disposal:
- Find waste management facilities in your area
- Utilise local kerbside waste and recycling services and make a note of their schedule
- If you live or work rurally, use transfer stations to move rubbish to the appropriate disposal area
- Locate your community recycling centres for problem waste
- Parse out reusable items and donate them to charities
- Organise your waste into the correct bins
Contact the waste disposal professionals to help you clean up your space (that’s us!).
The Impacts of Dumping Waste Illegally in Australia
Illegal dumping can lead to increasingly harmful outcomes for communities and natural environments around the country. Five key areas impacted by illegal dumping include:
- Environment: Waste can contaminate and degrade land, endanger critical habitats, endanger flora and fauna, pollute waterways, and increase bushfire risk.
- Human: Particularly when dangerous chemicals or materials are present, human health can be severely impacted by pollutants.
- Visual: It’s never pleasant to be walking down the street and see a heap of discarded rubbish on the path. It’s an eyesore, lowers community pride, and attracts more dumping to the area.
- Resources: Sometimes the items dumped aren’t even rubbish. Maybe they’re unwanted furniture or appliances that could have gone to a new home. Maybe they’re recyclable materials or green waste that could have otherwise been disposed of responsibly. Regardless, illegal dumping wastes resources that could have been used elsewhere.
- Economic: Clean up of illegal dumping sites costs millions of taxpayer dollars each year. It can also lead to decreased land value, bloated construction costs, and undermine legitimate businesses.
The “Report Illegal Dumping” Campaign
RIDOnline has made it easier to report illegal dumping whenever you see it. By accessing its online app, users can find guidance on how to report emergency dumping instances, how and when to report environmental risks, and how to report litter from vehicles.
RIDOnline plays a crucial role in the EPA’s Illegal Dumping Prevention Strategy 2022-2027 by facilitating community action and quick resolution for waste issues.
Fines and Penalties for Illegal Dumping in Australia
Under the POEO Act (1997), individuals and commercial entities can be held legally responsible for illegal dumping, whether intentional or not. The severity of the penalty is dependent on the severity of the offence.
On-the-spot Fines
- Individuals: up to $7,500
- Commercial Entities: up to $15,000
Strict Liability Offences
- Individuals: $250,000, with a further daily penalty of $60,000 for continued offences
- Commercial Entities: $1,000,000 for corporations, with a further daily penalty of $120,000 for continued offences
Willful or Negligent Disposal
- Up to $1,000,000 fine and 7 years in prison for individuals
- Up to $5,000,000 for businesses
Additional penalties may apply due to the Environment Protection Legislation Amendment Act (2024), which gives further powers to the EPA when imposing penalties on illegal dumping.
- Asset seizure of any equipment or vehicles used in illegal dumping offences, which will then be forfeited if the party is convicted
- Installation of GPS tracking devices in waste transport vehicles to track accountable action and conduct monitoring by the EPA
- An additional 2 years of jail time for repeat offenders
- A $500,000 fine for businesses that give false or misleading information regarding their illegal dumping actions; Individuals can face a $250,000 and 18 months imprisonment
- Additional repayments of any monetary benefits gained by the party from illegally dumping
Responsible Disposal Methods for Waste That Has Been Illegally Dumped
Responsible waste disposal starts at the source. This means locating local waste infrastructure, getting involved with community cleanup projects, and educating yourself on other available waste disposal services. You can be waste responsible by:
- Reporting illegal dumping to RIDOnline
- Utilising council-designated waste services like Waste Management Facilities, kerbside waste and recycling services, Transfer Stations for rural areas, and Community Recycling Centres
- Developing cleanup projects in your local area
- Making use of charitable organisations willing to help with clean up and take secondhand goods
- Utilising disposal services from commercial entities when you become overwhelmed with the task
Charitable Organisations for Unwanted Items
Making donations to charitable initiatives is one way you can dispose of waste responsibly. Whether you’re clearing out your wardrobe for the new season, updating furniture, or want to make better decisions for the planet, these organisations can help you size down on your carbon footprint!
Reverse Garbage is a creative reuse centre in Sydney, focused on redirecting commercial and industrial waste to artists, DIY enthusiasts, educators, and more, to be reused, upcycled, and distributed to community programs.
Bower is an environmental charity focused on reuse and repair. They run workshops focused on upcycling homewares and clothes, providing affordable secondhand furniture to communities, and finding creative ways to give new life to unwanted goods.
Home of the BRAD box program, Banish, collects hard-to-recycle goods and transforms them into new everyday items. If you find yourself unsure of what to do with toothpaste tubes and blister packs, Banish makes it easy to sort, store, and recycle the small items that build up over time.
ReLove rescues unwanted domestic essentials, providing them with new homes with the people who need them most. ReLove makes FREE, direct donations to vulnerable communities by partnering with case workers, commercial donors, and community members looking to make a difference in people’s lives with the planet in mind.
The Refugee Council of Australia and St. Vincent de Paul have sites across the country ready to collect, sort, and resell second hand homeware, clothes, electronics, and books. Best of all, the profits from selling your unwanted items go to charitable causes. Win-win!
Remember Respect
Some of the most impacted illegal dumping sites are charitable organisations and op shops. Respecting organisations willing to collect and sort secondhand items is an important step in making sustainable decisions. When donating, follow this checklist:
- Good condition, good quality: Only donate items that can be reused by someone else. Additionally, do not donate damaged, broken, or stained items. Check everything before you donate.
- Respect store hours: Leaving donations outside of store hours costs charities millions of dollars to clear. Make sure you check opening hours and deliver your items within those times.
- Protect against exposure: Damaged items from bad weather and vandals can’t be resold, creating thousands of tonnes of waste. Always use the designated donation bins or stations, and don’t leave donations outside shopfronts.
- Bad donations mean waste: NSW charities spend millions of dollars on disposing of unsaleable items, directing funds away from where they’re needed most to waste control. Instead of donating unusable items, find other organisations that are willing to take those items on.
How To Arrange A Dumped Rubbish Removal
The Benefits of A Rubbish Removal Service
For residents and professionals in a pinch, rubbish removalists are an efficient and economically friendly solution. Hiring skip bins for job sites or dealing with the dumping yourself can be an expensive and time-draining endeavour. With our professional waste removal services, you can save money and take the headache out of waste removal.
Competent, organised removalists can help diagnose your dumping problem and identify how best to resolve it. They will then do the heavy lifting of clearing the rubbish during a time that best suits your schedule, before disposing of the waste ethically.
How To Arrange A Rubbish Removal
To arrange a rubbish removal with us, follow these simple steps:
- Call 1300 Rubbish on 1300 782 247 or fill in the online form to get an obligation-free estimate of the job cost.
- Choose a time that works for you.
- Our team will call you 20-30 minutes out from arrival and reconfirm the job cost.
Once the removal job is complete and a thorough sweep-up is conducted, we will dispose of the waste in the most environmentally friendly way possible: recycling and composting whenever we’re able to.
Related Information for Rubbish Removals and Illegal Waste
For more information on community initiatives and waste disposal in your area, head to the EPA’s website to find out how you can help.
Stay up-to-date with the National Waste Policy and what government schemes are being implemented for you:
Why You Should Consider 1300 Rubbish
1300 Rubbish is here to help! We take on the big clean-up tasks so you can rest easy knowing your space will be yours to enjoy again.
With over 30 years of experience, 1300 Rubbish is a team of highly trained workers, here to make your cleanup as quick, easy, and efficient as possible. We are kind to both people and the planet, keeping your space clean while we look after the environment.
We offer services for households, commercial buildings, and construction sites, while following EPA regulations on waste disposal. We are fully insured, take on every job possible, and provide end-to-end services for every customer.
Honesty is our policy! For transparent pricing, register for an estimate online.
To book a space or area to be cleared responsibly by our reliable team, call 1300 782 247 or book online.
Frequently Asked Questions About Dumped Rubbish Removal
What is considered dumped rubbish?
Any litter or waste deposited in a public or open private area that exceeds 50 L or 50 kg is considered dumped rubbish. This includes:
- Construction debris
- Domestic waste
- Chemical or toxic materials
- Green waste
- Recyclable items
How does dumped rubbish affect wildlife?
Entanglement, indigestion, and habitat destruction caused by illegal dumping affect wildlife everyday and pose an immediate threat to Australia’s biodiversity.
Making sustainable and responsible disposal decisions is vital to protecting Australia’s natural environment and critical natural habitats.
Do you work with councils?
Yes! We work with local councils to help tackle illegally dumped rubbish and We are an NDIS-registered company.
While we are a non-hazardous waste removal company and do not require a governmental licence, we still follow all EPA rules and regulations.
How much does dumped rubbish removal cost?
Costs for a dumped rubbish removal will vary by volume and type; call 1300 782 247 for a free estimate.
For reliable removal of illegally dumped rubbish that prioritises the environment and your needs, contact 1300Rubbish today. We’re committed to making Australia cleaner, one cleanup at a time.