NSW councils hit with rubbish crisis in lockdown
A waste crisis is gripping Sydney as rubbish volumes and illegal dumping soar during the COVID-19 lockdown with some councils forced to install CCTV in litterbug hot spots to stop the city being turned into a rubbish tip.
NSW
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Councils across NSW are taking steps to combat a huge spike in illegal waste dumping in recent months, turning the state into a rubbish tip.
Rubbish volumes and reports of illegal dumping have spiked during lockdown as household consumption of groceries, online shopping and the popularity of home improvements send waste levels through the roof.
Across the state, the NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA) has reported a 34 per cent increase in illegal dumping incidents to 1,918 in April compared to the year prior.
Waste volumes for individual councils have also jumped. In the City of Sydney, there has been a 35 per cent increase in the volume of household bulky waste pick-ups in April compared to the months prior.
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The surge in waste has seen council organise additional rubbish collection services, with garbage trucks now making more frequent visits to apartments.
Across the rest of Sydney, garbage levels have also grown. In Parramatta, there has been a 9 per cent jump in general garbage disposal and an 8 per cent increase in recycling levels compared to the same months the year prior.
In the city’s east, staff at Randwick Council are working extended hours to manage a 10 per cent increase in waste and recycling disposal.
In Sydney’s west, litterbugs are turning streets into an eyesore, with councils experiencing some of the worst cases of illegal dumping in years.
In the past three weeks alone, investigators for Penrith, Cumberland, The Hills, Blacktown, Fairfield and the Blue Mountains councils have responded to more than 150 illegal dumping reports.
“This number is double the amount of matters referred to the unit in any given three-week period last year,” Greg McCarthy, Manager Environmental Health and Compliance, Penrith City Council told The Daily Telegraph.
The growing popularity of home maintenance and household cleaning is to blame for the change in rubbish volumes, he said.
“The types of items being dumped include household/kitchen waste, discarded old white goods and electronics, green waste and construction waste such as tiles, plaster board, concrete and off cuts from renovations.”
Councils in the area have been forced to install CCTV in undisclosed dumping hot spots to deter and catch litterbugs. Educational material has also been distributed in letter boxes to help educate locals about proper waste disposal.
Cumberland Council Mayor Steve Christou has hit out at illegal dumpers, reminding locals the area is “not a ghetto” after council saw a 60 per cent jump in illegal dumping activity in May.
He says the scourge of illegal dumping costs council almost $1 million each year.
“We don’t want to fine people up to $8,000 for illegal rubbish dumping but the reality is cleaning up illegal dumping comes at an expense to Council and ultimately ratepayers,” he said.
Residents are being urged to contact council to book a free rubbish collection and to remember that “keeping the street clean and green is everyone’s responsibility.”
As most Sydney councils struggle with a spike in rubbish levels, locals in Sydney’s inner west are bucking the trend. According to the Inner West Council, there has been no increase in garbage volumes or illegal dumping.
On the contrary, there has been a reduction in complaints of illegal dumping. Many residents have also opted to go green, with councils fielding more queries than ever about composting and worm farms.
“The Inner West community has managed its waste responsibly and continued to recycle throughout COVID-19 restrictions. There has actually been a significant increase in the number of households wanting to compost and worm farm. This is very positive as food waste makes up about a third of the average garbage bin,” a spokesperson said.
The increase in illegal dumping has sparked reminders for people to be mindful when disposing of waste, with the NSW EPA urging anyone who catches someone dumping illegal to report it at ridonline.epa.nsw.gov.au or to their local council.
Anyone who has bulky goods that need to be disposed of, are being reminded to contact their local council for a pick-up.
Originally published as NSW councils hit with rubbish crisis in lockdown