Don‘t trash your neighborhood.
Dumping your trash is illegal.
Illegally dumping your trash is more than just an eyesore! It is expensive to clean up and negatively impacts health, the environment, and public safety. The debris may also end up in your neighborhood and waterways, putting your home at higher risk of flooding.
Offenders can face fines of up to $10,000.
WHAT IS ILLEGAL DUMPING?
Illegal dumping places waste on public property or someone’s property or dumpster without permission. This includes dumping trash along roadsides, highways, or other public thoroughfares. Illegal dumping of household trash, construction debris, old appliances, and hazardous materials in the right of way is a form of environmental pollution and is against the law.
WHY SHOULD YOU CARE?
This is your community, and it is up to all of us to take care of it. Illegal dumping has negative impacts on your neighborhood. It violates the law and negatively impacts your safety, health, and the environment. Dumping has been shown to attract and breed rodents and insects. It also increases the probability of fires and may pollute your water, air, and soil. The trash makes areas more susceptible to flooding by blocking stormwater drains.
WHAT CAN YOU DO?
Properly dispose of your waste in designated areas. If you spot illegal dumping, note the location, take pictures, and report it. You can report by calling Harris County Pollution Control at 713-920-2831
HOW CAN YOU DISPOSE YOUR TRASH/WASTE?
There are different options to dispose of your waste properly:
- Use designated drop-off waste sites. Click here for a list.
- Harris County Precinct 2 offers heavy trash day service at two locations every 3rd Saturday of every month. The locations for heavy trash day are:
- Hardy Aldine Camp
- Wade Camp
- Harris County residents who reside outside the incorporated City of Houston limits may contact Harris County Engineering to properly dispose of household hazardous items. HHW (Household Hazardous Waste) collection services are free to unincorporated Harris County residents.
REPORTING ILLEGAL DUMPING
ALTERNATIVE METHODS TO REPORT ILLEGAL DUMPING
- Expanded Public Awareness Campaigns: Increase efforts to educate residents about the consequences of illegal dumping through targeted advertising, community events, and social media campaigns. Emphasize the environmental, health, and legal repercussions of dumping heavy trash illegally.
- Neighborhood Watch: Increase constituent involvement in actively monitoring the neighborhood for not only illegal dumping but suspicious activity as well as crime. This increased surveillance helps deter potential dumpers and provides an early warning system for authorities to intervene before dumping occurs or escalates.
- Enhanced Surveillance and Reporting Systems: Implement or expand surveillance systems, such as cameras or community reporting apps, to monitor dumping hotspots and identify perpetrators. Encourage residents to report illegal dumping activities promptly and anonymously.
- Enhanced Signage: Implementing signage is a simple yet effective way to deter Illegal Dumping and inform residents about waste disposal regulations.