Illegal Dumping

• Dumped rubbish can leach contaminates into our bushland, harming our plants and animals and blighting our landscape.¹
• Australian Authorities report that the level of illegal dumping has remained constant over the last five years.²
• In Australia, furniture, packaging and organic waste are amongst the most common types of illegally dumped rubbish.²
• Illegal Dumping costs ratepayers thousands of dollars per year. In 2005 it was revealed that residents of Gold Coast City Council paid a $1.5 million clean-up bill, including costs of cleaning up illegal dumping.³
• If an individual is found guilty of illegal dumping in court, they can face 7 years in jail and a $250,000 fine.²
• When it rains, illegally dumped rubbish can impact proper drainage of run-off, making areas more susceptible to flooding when wastes block ravines, creeks, culverts and drainage basins.4
• It is estimated that more than 11,000 tonnes of waste are illegally dumped each year in Western Sydney alone.5
• The annual number of incidents of illegal dumping is significantly higher in urban than rural councils.5

Miscellaneous Litter

• Fast food litter has increased by 50% in the last three years.¹
• The amount of litter dropped yearly in the UK has increased by 500% since the 1960s.¹
• In 2005, paper and cardboard items accounted for 15% of the total rubbish collected on Clean Up Australia Day.²
• Through the paper production process in 2002-03 approximately 290,000 tonnes of paper was disposed of to landfill.³

Waste Product Decomposition Times

Degradability depends on climate and circumstances, but under unfavourable conditions estimated time spans can be as long as:-

Any type of litter takes a long time to disappear naturally, so whatever the material the right thing to do is not to litter in the first place.