Solutions to Illegal Dumping & The Role of Remote Surveillance Cameras
Causing an eyesore is one of least significant problems that can arise from illegal dumping.
The unauthorised disposal of waste has detrimental effects on both the environment and human health. The penalties that people risk for abandoning waste are incomparable to the countless risks that the environment faces from illegal dumping.
Despite attempts from all levels of government to curb illegal dumping, it still occurs at a high rate across Australia. This has led to numerous governments and local authorities searching for proactive solutions to the dumping crisis emerging in suburbs and remote areas alike.
Complex problems require intricate solutions that incorporate proactive deterrence. The nature and causes of illegal dumping are difficult to pinpoint, resulting in a notable lack of preventative measures that genuinely influence the behaviour of litterers and dumpers.
What are the causes of illegal dumping?
Many officials would like to believe that citizens and businesses illegally dump waste and materials because they are unaware of regulations and levies, but that’s unfortunately not the case. The NSW EPA found that low awareness of alternatives – like recycling, donations or waste transfer stations – did not contribute to an increase in illegal dumping.
Rather, the two major causes of illegal dumping were found to be:
Avoidance of disposal fees
A concerning number of people and businesses find legal waste disposal expensive and time-consuming. Illegal dumping is seen by some as a convenient and free way of disposing waste, shifting the problem onto local councils to deal with rather than themselves.
Laziness
Instead of taking the time to drive their waste to a proper waste disposal facility or organising council pickup, some people use illegal dumping as a quick way to rid themselves of their rubbish.
The cost of illegal dumping
Illegal dumping is an aggressive and invasive problem, the aftermath of which can impact almost every area of life.
Financial costs
From suburban streets to the outback, illegal dumping is a major problem across Australia that is costing local governments excessive amounts of money. In South Australia alone, the Local Government Association estimated that councils spend $1.5 million a year removing and properly disposing of illegally dumped materials and landfill. Melbourne’s 31 councils reported collectively spending at least $10.8 million per year on clean up.
Environmental costs
Kerbside trash and illegal dumping sites are not only an eyesore to the general public; they also pose an environmental risk. Commonly dumped items like rubbish, garden and building waste, tyres, chemical drums and even asbestos can have long-lasting, negative impacts on the environment when left to decompose in nature. This includes:
Land, water, soil and air pollution
Items containing hazardous chemicals, like household cleaning products or asbestos, can directly harm the environment. Not only are these chemicals a major contributor to pollution, but when dumped illegally these chemicals can seep into soil and waterways. This means that the impacts of pollution can travel far away from the original dumping site, ultimately causing a chain reaction. Water and soil pollution directly spread diseases, damage ecosystems and lead to species extinction, and reduce crop yields and quality.
Similarly, dumped household goods and construction waste pose a direct threat to native wildlife as they introduce pests and harmful bacteria into established ecosystems, block waterways and paths, and smother natural vegetation. Illegal dumping can also contribute to wildfires.
Health and safety risks
Pollution and illegal dumping is closely related to health risks. Even when items are dumped far away from cities or towns, the implications of dumping can be experienced anywhere. As waste enters soil and groundwater, pollution can damage the quality of our food and cause serious diseases in those that ingest it. In fact, waste is so widespread in our society that microplastics have even been found in both tapped and bottled drinking water.
Items that have been illegally dumped can also cause injuries and accidents. Accidents that may caused by illegal dumping include:
- Unsecured objects falling on people passing by.
- People treading on broken glass, sharp objects or medical waste.
- Children playing in or interacting with dangerous items.
- Drivers getting into accidents when swerving to avoid hitting wildlife scavenging amongst illegally dumped items.
Social costs
In addition to ruining the beauty of suburbs and bushlands, the social impacts of illegal dumping are also notably problematic and can be experienced in a wide range of areas.
Community pride
Illegal dumping gives communities a bad image and can even lower land value in the area.
For communities that rely on tourism, waste pollution has been shown to have a drastic impact on the tourism potential of beaches, bushlands and other nature reserves. In 2017, the UN estimated that waste pollution has caused a combined loss of $622 million in tourism annually.
How to prevent illegal dumping
While the impacts of illegal dumping are obvious, the solution to preventing it is less clear.
When trying to implement solutions to illegal dumping, local councils must take a holistic approach in order to address the numerous types, causes and impacts of illegal dumping.
Tracking asbestos, tyres and contaminated soil
Previous research by the NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA) found that asbestos waste accounted for up to 8% of illegally dumped waste across NSW. This led to the development of the WasteLocate online system, which tracks the disposal of hazardous substances. Transporters and facilities of asbestos waste, contaminated soils and waste tyres over certain quantities must now register each load with WasteLocate, which uses a GPS-trackable plate to monitor each load like a parcel. The NSW Government can now also monitor repeat offenders with GPS trackers and choose to cancel vehicle registrations if appropriate.
Changing public attitudes and encouraging people to take a stand
One of the key solutions to illegal dumping includes the shaping of public perception. After all, strategies to stop illegal dumping will only work if they are embraced and upheld by the entire community.
One collaborative effort between the Orange Mountain Bike Club, The Forestry Corporation of NSW, Orange City and Cabonne Shire identified that people would hesitate to illegally dump if they think they’ll be seen or if their social circle will judge them for the action. A Don’t Waste Our Forests campaign was developed around social media messaging and signage, both providing positive messaging about forest experiences and clear signage about fines and waste disposal information.
Addressing the entire waste cycle
The excessive amounts of waste being produced are a result of overconsumption and overproduction. In order to minimise illegal dumping, it’s important to address the contributing force behind waste generation.
Western Australia has a multi-pronged and long-term approach for its 2030 Waste Strategy, including minimising unnecessary waste generation, increasing material recovery and improving public awareness around managing waste responsibly. This strategy aims to support illegal dumping prevention efforts by addressing the entire waste cycle; from smarter product design, through to optimising waste disposal infrastructure and building confidence in recycled materials. More states and councils are starting to realise that addressing the core issues of waste management can have significant flow-on benefits.
Spectur’s remote illegal dumping surveillance cameras
Government illegal dumping surveillance systems and security still – and will continue to – play an essential role in curtailing illegal dumping in Australia. Unfortunately, there will always be individuals and businesses that simply don’t care about the consequences of dumping unless they get caught.
Installing a camera system supported by AI technology is invaluable when it comes to taking an active role in stopping illegal dumping before it occurs. Of course, it can be tricky to place surveillance cameras in remote places that are particularly prone to illegal dumping. To respond to this key challenge, Spectur offers a range of remote solar-powered cameras that are ideal for both remote and local surveillance.
Warning and deterrence
Strategically placed government camera surveillance and deterrence systems are also absolutely essential to monitor remote and hotspot areas, and stop illegal dumping. As a cost-effective solution to illegal dumping, a deterrence camera actively deters crime by providing a constant, reliable eye in remote places. Its very presence warns potential criminals that there will be consequences should they proceed with their actions.
Alerting the relevant persons
Spectur security illegal dumping cameras take an active approach to preventing illegal dumping, using AI to differentiate human movement from other environmental movement and to recognise number plates. The solar-powered system can be set to immediately emit a bright light and an alarm or spoken warning to deter offenders before they dump, as well as sending notifications to the appropriate authority. The video or time-lapse footage captured by the illegal dumping surveillance cameras is stored remotely in the cloud, ready for further disciplinary action.
Recording the actions of offenders
Your illegal dumping cameras’ video feed will continue recording until a set time after movement has ceased, providing time-lapse footage of any selected time period upon operator requests. Authorities can continue to pursue legal action with evidence of trespassing, further solidifying your community’s no-tolerance approach to illegal dumping.
