Sad sight in Aussie suburb exposes growing $18 million problem
The alarming trend of illegal dumping is worsening across the country with renewed pleas to residents.
A sad sight witnessed by locals in an Aussie suburb speaks to a worsening trend as more and more unwanted goods end up in landfill. The illegal dumping of rubbish, including clothing in and around charity bins, continues to sweep the country with residents now being urged to report it before it becomes too much to handle.
The latest example was in Fairfield in Sydney's west with a furious local condemning the "stupid people" responsible for abandoning the items. A photo taken in a car park near an apartment building shows a huge pile of unwanted clothes and other belongings scattered across the ground, carelessly left in a garden bed.
According to the resident, who shared the image on social media, in that same spot once stood a couple of charity bins. Even then the problem was rife. "When the collection bins were there it was exactly the same," they said.
"Are people really that stupid. Take it to the Vinnies drop off, why are we dumping it here? Are they hoping it magically just vanishes?" they fumed.
Vic and NSW among states with highest level of dumping reports
Danny Gorog, CEO & Founder of Snap Send Solve, told Yahoo News Australia it's a worsening problem across the country.
"This year alone, we have received over 1300 reports related to illegal dumping of clothes and household items overfilling charity bins," he said. "Victoria and New South Wales are among the states with the highest level of reports for this issue."
There have been countless instances of clothes piled up around already-full charity bins in car parks and at shopping centres in built-up areas. But in some instances, mattresses, old furniture and discarded homewares have also been left by previous owners looking for a way to dispose of them.
"Dumping rubbish next to a charity bin strains charity resources — diverting time and funds from their mission — and also harms the environment as damaged goods often end up in landfills," Gorog told Yahoo.
"Often, if left unresolved, illegally dumped rubbish encourages others to also leave their rubbish illegally. We urge residents to download our app and Snap illegal dumping when you spot it, informing relevant local authorities to resolve issues quickly and efficiently."
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Roughly $18 million and 'considerable resources' spent on clean ups
Joe Carbone, executive chair of ethical recycling service the SCR Group, previously told Yahoo illegal dumping had always been a "huge issue" in Melbourne and Victoria, particularly at clothing donation bins.
"As Australia’s largest textile collector, we spend considerable resources on collecting illegally dumped rubbish left outside our clothing hub sites across the state," he said.
According to Charitable Recycling Australia, charity reuse and recycling enterprises wore the financial costs of illegal dumping and unusable donations – to the tune of $18 million a year spent on waste management and disposal costs.
Penalties for illegal dumping vary between states, but in Victoria, offenders can be charged under the Environmental Protection Act and – if found guilty – face a maximum fine of $9,616. In NSW, individual penalties can include a $4,000 on-the-spot fine, while corporations can face an $8,000 fine.
"We would welcome the establishment of a task force focused on addressing illegal dumping, taking a multi-pronged approach to stop this behaviour in a similar way that many campaigns have successfully minimised other forms of litter," Carbone added.
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