Illegal Rubbish Dumping !

What is surprising is the number of cars which still have a towing hook because in recent years the number of homes with a trailer has sharply diminished.  Backyards are getting ever smaller and there is nowhere to store a trailer these days. As a result, putting the household junk in the trailer and taking it to the tip has become a thing of the past.

Most councils now allow a couple of free household pickups a year.  Book the event and put the rubbish kerbside the night before is the new way of disposing of what will not fit in the wheelie bins.  Unfortunately, we are creatures of habit and when we see a neighbours rubbish at the kerb we can't resist adding  a bit of our own.  Very quickly a neat pile at the kerb can become a mountain and contain items like refrigerators and washing machines.

This has exacerbated sharply during the Coronavirus lockdown.  In many homes this enforced absence from the workforce has resulted in home renovation plans coming to the fore.  Councils in all parts of Sydney are reporting piles of rubbish at kerbsides which are not booked for removal and it seems that many people think creating a kerbside pile outside someone else's home absolves them of guilt.

Another way of getting rid of unwanted items is to " donate " it to a charity.  During opening hours most charities welcome unwanted items in good condition that can be useful to others, but after dark and over the weekend many people dump completely worthless junk at the charities receiving dock.  In many cases it costs the charity to pay both transport and tip fees to clear this away to the council tip.

Both charities and councils have resorted to security cameras to detect illegal dumpers. Recording the number plate of cars involved will result in the owner getting a call from a council ranger - and a fine.  It is also surprising the amount of identification thrown away in rubbish that is overlooked by the people responsible.  Council rangers are getting very good at sorting rubbish to track it back to its place of origin.

The waste metal industry is very interested in old cars, refrigerators, washing machines and any metal items of substance.  They may even pay you to take them away, or do that job for free if you make suitable arrangements.  They sell unwanted scrap back to the steelworks to be melted down and made into new steel.

Another waste problem concerns asbestos.  It is found in most homes built before the 1980's and is not acceptable at council tips.  Where it is dumped kerbside the fibres can blow in the wind and cause serious health problems.  It needs to be specially packaged and disposed of by contractors licensed to provide that service.

Illegal waste dumping has become a serious problem and councils are launching a crackdown. Putting rubbish kerbside without first booking an arrangement for its removal attracts a heavy fine. Councils will instruct their rangers to prosecute offenders.  Council services are both able and willing to remove unwanted rubbish provided the booking rules are followed.  The problem seems to be that too many people make their own rules and overload the system  !