Illegal garbage dumping ongoing issue in Markham

YorkRegion.com
Sept. 29, 2016
By Amanda Persico

Despite Markham’s high waste diversion rates, illegal garbage dumping still remains a problem.

Illegal dumping is happening all over the city - on the side of the road, in public parks, on vacant lands and on public streets and boulevards.

“It’s not an epidemic,” said the city’s acting bylaw and regulatory services manager Chris Alexander.

“We see it in cycles. We see a lot in the spring cleaning season and over the summer months when construction is at its peak.”

There are a number of waste depots and recycling centres in the city where residents can drop off excess waste for a minimal fee and the city collects bulky items such as chairs, sofas and mattresses curbside.

Trash dumped on vacant lands or future development sites are the property owner’s or developer’s responsibility, Alexander said.

But removing the garbage illegally dumped on private and public sites may take some time.

A portable toilet wasted away for more than a month in a vacant field identified as a future park in Cornell before it was removed by the landowner.

Most of the time, the offender is someone who lives in the area, Alexander added.

The city has the authority to go through trash left in public places to try and identify the perpetrator. If found, the perpetrator can be fined.

“There has been no instance of someone illegally dumping a second time,” said deputy mayor and regional councillor Jack Heath.

But sometimes residents need reminders.

Recently, Councillor Karen Rea knocked on doors and sent flyers to residents in her ward, after receiving a number of complaints of people illegally dumping yard waste in a local park.

“We don’t want to micro-manage residents,” she said. “But residents need to take responsibility for their actions.”

Residents are taking responsibility by calling and reporting incidents, Heath said.
“We hear about illegal dumping every now and then,” Heath said.

But with a 81 per cent diversion rate, the majority of residents get it and abide by waste regulations, he added.

“There may be a small number of people doing this. But residents are very proud of our system. Those are the ones calling us to report it [illegal dumping].”

Similar to green bin and blue box collection schedules, yard waste collection should be collected weekly, especially during spring and fall, Rea added.

While the city provides welcome packages for new home owners outlining the city’s waste diversion system, Rea suggested attaching waste diversion information to property tax bills as a reminder for all residents.

The summer is the busiest time for illegal dumping complaints.

The record heat this summer might explain the increase in illegal dumping of organic waste left in park garbage cans.

“It’s things like fish entrails that (residents) don’t wish to store in the green bin for a week, because it smells so bad,” said Councillor Don Hamilton.

Residents can put food scraps in a plastic bag, freeze it and take it right out to the green bin at the curb on collection day, he added.

Stored in the right place, green bin material can stay for about a week.