30JUN
Cost of Illegal Rubbish Removal by Rogue Removal Companies
Illegal rubbish removal – ruined reputations and damaged ecosystems
We’re a small country. 268,021 km² of country to be exact. If a load of rubbish gets dumped somewhere it shouldn’t go, it gets noticed. 99% of us are proud of our country and we’re keen to demonstrate our clean, green attitudes to the next generation. We teach our children not to throw their wrappers out the car window, we tell them to use the bin provided at the beach, we take our rubbish with us after the picnic. But what message is it sending when irresponsible law-breakers take it upon themselves to relieve you of money to dump your rubbish into the nearest stream? What if you had paid someone to take your rubbish to the dump, never got there but instead turned up on a roadside and got traced back to you?
Illegal rubbish dumping is on the rise in Auckland as well in the rest of New Zealand. The incidence of “cowboys” presenting themselves as reputable contractors who will “remove the problem” is sadly becoming a common scenario. The offence committed against members of the public who pay high costs to have their rubbish removed is compounded when the violation leads back to the door of the owner of the rubbish. It is distressful and embarrassing.
Illegal Dumping Environmentally Unfriendly
The Ministry for the Environment has guidelines and targeted programmes to eradicate the illegal dumping of rubbish. Their objectives of encouraging cooperation among local authorities, communities and industries to initiate change go some way towards the eradication of the rogue rubbish dumping companies.
What’s the deal with illegal rubbish removal in Auckland?
Rogue rubbish removers when challenged in the act of illegally dumping have offered up some interesting and creative excuses:
- It wasn’t intentional
- We didn’t know
- I couldn’t afford the dump fees
- Everybody does it
- The signage wasn’t clear
- Saw others doing it so thought it was ok
- Have always dumped it here
At the end of the day, they all know that what they are doing is not only morally wrong but against the law. Many are charging cash thereby preventing the client from having any protection under the Consumers Guarantee Act, or the capacity to track them down – more often than not the rogue company takes the cash and the rubbish and then they vanish.
Illegal Rubbish Dumping Endemic Across New Zealand
It’s not just Auckland that is seeing an increase in rogue rubbish dumping companies. A recent case in Taranaki left a householder red-faced and vilified on Facebook – even though she was the innocent victim of a scammer worthy of an episode of Fair Go.
Councils claim that the cost of illegal dumping cost ratepayers millions of dollars each year in clean-up costs. Auckland City Council spends $1 million a year dealing with the illegal dumping of rubbish – a cost that affects all ratepayers in their pockets. There are a variety of measures you can take to “dob in” a rogue operator dumping illegally. The Auckland City Council has numbers to call and online reporting forms. Getting a photo on your phone as evidence is a great deterrent but can be risky. Being vigilant and reporting activity in your own community is a positive step and can result in the perpetrators being fined.
Auckland Council fines are quite specific in nature and quantity regarding illegally dumped rubbish. These fines seem low and will act as a deterrent but the community as a whole can make a difference by ensuring their own rubbish removal is handled legally and appropriately.
| Nature of Infringment | First Offence | Second or Subsequent |
| Litter, of less than or equal to 1 litre, left in a public space, or on private land, without the occupier’s consent. | $100 | $400 |
| Litter, of more than 1 litre and less than or equal to 20 litres, left in a public space, or on private land without the occupier’s consent | $150 | $400 |
| Litter, of more than 20 litres and less than or equal to 120 litres, left in a public space, or on private land without the occupier’s consent | $250 | $400 |
| Litter, of more than 120 litres, left in a public space, or on private land without the occupier’s consent | $400 | $400 |
| Hazardous or offensive litter left in a public space, or on private land without the occupier’s consent. | $400 | $400 |
An easy way to do your bit is to ensure that when you are paying someone to remove your rubbish, you employ a reputable, trustworthy, law-abiding rubbish removal company to do that job for you. Some companies will even donate goods that were destined for the dump but with some life left in them to charities like Women’s Refuge and Salvation Army. Talk to your rubbish removal company about this community initiative.
Rubbish dumped at Waitoetoe Beach on the Manawatu River in Palmerston North
Reputable rubbish removal companies are the right choice
It pays to plan ahead and select a reputable company like his to ensure that your rubbish is being dispatched legally, efficiently and that you are dealing with professionals. But how do you know how to choose when the marketplace is overflowing with “the man with a van” type operators?
Junk2Go suggests 6 standards in choosing a trusted rubbish removal company
- References from happy customers
- Supplied GST invoices
- Trusted in the community (good corporate citizen)
- Signwritten vehicles and tidy appearance of staff
- Well-informed on the rules and regulations around rubbish removal in the area
- Licensed rubbish removal company
So if you’re looking for a rubbish removal company that you can trust, give the team at Junk2Go a call or book online today!