Illegal waste dumping is on the rise, with people across the Southwest urged to keep an eye on where their skip bin waste is going.
Environment Protection Authority (EPA) Victoria has advised the public to ensure the proper disposal of renovation waste and hard rubbish through legitimate waste removal companies.
EPA Southwest regional manager Carolyn Francis said people could check that skip bin businesses were following the rules to stop it from becoming a fire hazard, an eyesore, or a source of pollution.
“Licensed facilities give the skip bin company paperwork to show the waste went where it should go,” she said.
“Do your research and make sure they’re a legitimate business and be wary of those advertised on Facebook or Airtasker.
“You can protect yourself and the environment by asking the skip bin company to show they have paperwork from other loads.”
Ms Francis said there were waste operators that deliberately undercut removal companies with low prices and avoided disposal costs by dumping the waste illegally.
“Watch out for suspiciously cheap prices and ask the operator to show you the receipts they get from licensed recycling or landfill facilities,” she said.
“Those receipts are a reassurance that your waste won’t be dumped in a park, a creek or on someone else’s property in the middle of the night.”
Visit epa.vic.gov.au/report-pollution/reporting-pollution or call EPA’s 24-hour hotline on 1300 372 842 to report dumped waste or suspicious skip bin operators.
“Your call can be anonymous and the information you provide can help EPA Victoria to protect your community and the environment from illegal dumping,” Ms Francis said.
Visit epa.vic.gov.au/for-community/how-to/hire-skip-bin for more information on hiring skip bins from legitimate businesses.
