40% drop in illegal dumping

There has been a 40 per cent reduction in the number of illegal dumpings in Canterbury-Bankstown in just four weeks, as part of Council’s latest campaign, #EyesOnIt.

A total of 3,076 dumpings were identified during the campaign, which was run in collaboration with the Sydney Regional Illegal Dumping (RID) squad and a number of community groups, including Environment@Lakemba, Chester Hill Environment Group and Cleaner Greener Riverwood.

Mayor Khal Asfour said members of the community groups and Council officers patrolled local streets, identifying illegal dumps with warning tape and labelling them with the Eyes On It stickers and posters.

"We saw quite an amazing response,” he said.

“Surprisingly, we found some residents believed it’s ok to put their unwanted items on the street kerb. This is not the case. That’s why households receive two free Council clean-ups each year, which can be booked by calling 9707 9000.

“They can also arrange for local environmental charity, The Bower, to pick-up unwanted reusable household items, by booking online at bower.org.au.”

Community groups helped identify more than 170 illegal dumpings, as part of the Eyes on It campaign.

"I thought it was a very successful campaign,” said Christine Stani, from the Chester Hill Environment Group.

“I had only positive interactions with fellow residents and I even had a few people bring their rubbish back in or book a Council clean-up collection after I had taped it.

“During the campaign, I saw a massive change in people’s thoughts and how they disposed of their rubbish, but this will be a long education process.”

The #EyesOnIt campaign will be rolled out again later in the year. For more information on how you can dispose of items that are not accepted in the household bin service, visit cb.city/antidumpingprograms

To book a Council clean-up, or for more information about The Bower, visit cb.city/cleanup

If you see someone dumping rubbish, report it by calling Council on 9707 9000, or the RID Squad on 131 555.