Throwing away rubbish anywhere that is not a designated bin or disposal facility is considered dumping or littering, which is illegal in every state in Australia. We all know that littering is bad for the environment - but more specifically, it can have environmental impacts of polluting water, damaging soil quality, affecting air quality, and negatively impacting our flora and fauna.
If you witness an act of illegal dumping or littering, you can submit a report on the EPA’s online reporting portal. If the illegal dumping involves an emergency, such as the presence of toxic fumes that pose a hazardous risk to health, call 000 immediately to report the incident.
There are also other channels to report different forms of illegal dumping. Despite the awareness around rubbish dumping and littering, there are still major issues with waste management in NSW. We’ve created this guide to help individuals find the best way to report illegal dumping and littering incidents so that we can work towards a cleaner, greener, future!
Australia’s problem with illegal dumping
Illegal dumping has long been a pervasive problem throughout Australia, particularly in metropolitan regions like Sydney. A 2015 report by the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) in New South Wales revealed that 11% of local government areas were spending more than half a million dollars each year to prevent, monitor, and enforce the consequences of illegal dumping.
In the same report, it was also found that illegal dumping was carried out by an alarming 35% of the community, as well as 27% of local businesses. Much of the illegally dumped waste was household waste and recyclables and general waste from businesses.
One of the biggest issues was that over a third of households in the community believed that it was perfectly legal to dispose of unwanted household rubbish on the curbside. Needless to say, this confusion regarding what constitutes illegal dumping is a huge problem that the Australian Government and local councils have continued to try to address through awareness campaigns and the provision of guidelines for proper waste disposal.
How to determine if waste is being illegally dumped
Any item that is not disposed of in an appropriate location for disposal (i.e. council provided bins, skip bins, commercial bins, recycling facilities) is likely being illegally dumped.
Illegal dumping usually occurs as curbside dumping, which is when unwanted items are placed outside of the house, usually on the sidewalk. In some cases, items can be placed on the curb to facilitate collection by a council bulk rubbish removal service — you can usually determine if the items are scheduled for collection if they have been labelled or marked with a notice.
Waste that is not cleared after a week is likely to be a case of illegal dumping, which should be reported.
How to report illegal dumping and littering
When you suspect that waste is being dumped illegally, here’s how to report it properly:
- Take photographic or video evidence of the waste and the surroundings where it was dumped (e.g. in front of a house).
- Note the date and time of the incident.
- Record down details of the location, address, or any other identifiable landmarks.
- Make a note of the person(s) carrying out the dumping act (gender, clothing, and hair colour).
- Contact the relevant authorities (see below) to inform of the dumping incident. You may be asked to provide personal details such as your name and contact number to act as a witness if necessary.
Reporting channels for illegal dumping and littering
Emergency dumping incidents
Emergency dumping incidents cover the disposal of hazardous materials such as toxic fumes, chemical spills, or those involving fire. Call 000 immediately.
Dumping incidents that require urgent responses
Litter or dumped waste that poses an immediate risk to the environment should be reported to the local council. If a large volume of waste is being dumped (over 200 tonnes) or if asbestos is present in the waste, contact the EPA or another state authority for the environment.
How to report illegal dumping and littering
When you suspect that waste is being dumped illegally, here’s how to report it properly:
- Take photographic or video evidence of the waste and the surroundings where it was dumped (e.g. in front of a house).
- Note the date and time of the incident.
- Record down details of the location, address, or any other identifiable landmarks.
- Make a note of the person(s) carrying out the dumping act (gender, clothing, and hair colour).
- Contact the relevant authorities (see below) to inform of the dumping incident. You may be asked to provide personal details such as your name and contact number to act as a witness if necessary.
Reporting channels for illegal dumping and littering
Emergency dumping incidents
Emergency dumping incidents cover the disposal of hazardous materials such as toxic fumes, chemical spills, or those involving fire. Call 000 immediately.
Dumping incidents that require urgent responses
Litter or dumped waste that poses an immediate risk to the environment should be reported to the local council. If a large volume of waste is being dumped (over 200 tonnes) or if asbestos is present in the waste, contact the EPA or another state authority for the environment.
- New South Wales
- EPA phone line: 131555
- Email - info@environment.nsw.gov.au
- Victoria
- Pollution hotline – 1300 372 842
- Online reporting portal
- Queensland
- Dumping hotline - 13 QGOV (13 74 68)
- Email - illegaldumping@des.qld.gov.au.
- Northern Territory
- NT EPA hotline – 1800 064 567
- NT EPA pollution reporting online form
- South Australia
- EPA hotline – (08) 8204 2004 or 1800 623 44
- Email - epainfo@sa.gov.au
- Western Australia
- Pollution Watch hotline - 1300 784 782
- Pollution Watch online form
- Tasmania
- Litter hotline - 1300 135 51
- Service Tasmania online form
- Australian Capital Territory
- Access Canberra hotline - 13 22 81
- Fix My Street form
Curbside dumping of household waste
Any household items, old tyres, green waste or construction waste (e.g. bricks and timber) should be reported to the local council.
Report littering from a vehicle
Littering from a vehicle is an offence in every Australian state and territory. If you witness someone littering from a motor vehicle (whether intentionally or unintentionally), you can report them using the links above.
Safe driving laws still apply, and you should never attempt to use your mobile phone while driving to take photo evidence or make a report. If you have a passenger in the vehicle with you, they can help to make the report on your behalf.