The environment isn’t the only victim in cases of illegal dumping. If an illegal waste site appears in your area, your community can be impacted in several ways too. Last week, we covered several negative consequences of illegal dumping to local ecosystems. This week, we are covering 3 negative impacts of illegal dumping on your community, and how you can combat them.
1. Increased Risk of Health Issues
Possibly the biggest risk of illegal dumping to humans is illness. Sites where trash is exposed are breeding grounds for insects like mosquitoes and flies and other disease-carrying animals such as rats, skunks, and opossums. The creatures sometimes carry Dengue Fever, Yellow Fever, Encephalitis, and malaria. In addition, visible dumping sites can wear on community mental health. Areas with dump sites are often considered ‘dirty’ and people generally do not feel comfortable or safe in these places.
2. Citizens Paying for Cleanup Costs
In some cases, nonprofit organizations will stage community cleanups through donations. However, there are some communities that are not that lucky and the citizens will have to pick up the bill for dump site cleanups. In those cases, the local government will step in and allocate taxpayer funds for these projects. While that might seem menial, the financial toll is really taken when hazardous waste cleanups are needed.
3. Decreased Property Values
In urban and residential areas, major issues come from people using vacant lots as a dump. While this is considered illegal dumping, the visual message does the most damage. If a potential buyer comes and sees and smells the trash on the site, they’re more inclined to tell others this is an area they don’t want to visit or live. And when properties can’t be seen, the market as a whole suffers and property values begin to decrease. In addition, neighborhoods surrounding dumping sites are often overlooked for funding and development projects, continuing the cycle.
How You Can Help Prevent Illegal Dumping
While there may not be one solution to prevent all illegal dumping, there are several ways you can help out with this issue.
If the illegal dumping is occurring on your property, consider posting “no trespassing” or “no dumping” signs in heavily wooded areas, and blind spots on your property. If signs don’t work for you, consider installing a video monitoring system. The camera itself will work as a deterrent in addition to giving you evidence for authorities to catch the culprit.
If you see piles of trash out or catch someone in the act of dumping trash in your community, you can reach out to your local solid waste or police department. In addition to contacting authorities, you can also reach out to local nonprofit organizations to see if a community cleanup can be organized.
Looking for a Dumpster to Clean Up Near Mobile, Alabama?
Circle J Roll Offs is ready to help you rent a dumpster for your community cleanup efforts this fall. Give us a call at (215) 661-0001 or fill out our online form and we’ll get in touch with you.