Avoid Illegal Dumping by Renting A Dumpster
Most people have seen an illegal dump site at one time or another. It usually just appears to be mounds of trash lying beside the road, under bridge overpasses, or deep in the woods. People use this illegal practice to get rid of waste for free. What they often do not realize, or do not care about, are the many different types of problems they are causing. You can avoid illegal dumping by renting a dumpster. Not only will you be doing your part to help keep your community clean, but it may save you money in the long run.
What Is Illegal Dumping?
Illegal dumping is the disposal of materials on land or a site that does not possess a license to be used for this purpose. In most states. the difference between the definition for illegal dumping and littering, boils down to the amount of material, as well as the types of materials being disposed of.
For example, if you were to toss a beverage can, beer bottle, banana peel, or sandwich wrapper from the window of your vehicle, and it falls along the side of the road, this would be deemed to be littering. On the other hand, if you were to toss a garbage bag full of your weekly household garbage, old appliances, mattresses, or other types of hazardous materials along side the road, this would be considered illegal dumping.
State definitions will often have a specific measurement of the amount of materials that must be present to discern the difference between the two.
Why Do People Illegally Dump?
Unfortunately, all waste has to go somewhere. While some people subscribe to trash and recycling services, others take advantage of legal dump sites located within their communities. Still others who have no regard of their communities resort to illegal dumping.
Illegal dumping is often done for the following reasons:
- It is free. Many times waste disposal comes at a cost. As previously stated, you are either paying for a disposal service, or if you take advantage of your local dump, you are charged by the pound.
- It is convenient. Illegal dump sites are often created out of convenience. People will dump at these locations instead of taking the time to travel to the closest legal dumping location.
- It is a way to get rid of materials that may not be accepted anywhere else. Unfortunately, there are some materials such as some types of hazardous waste, electronics, refrigerators, freezers, medical waste, automobile tires, and more, that may or may not be accepted at your local dump or recycling center.
The acceptance of these materials often varies based on the types of programs the city or county has in place to dispose of them. Even if they are not accepted at these locations, there are other legal ways that they can be disposed of.
What Are the Legal Consequences?
Depending on where you live, you could face huge penalties and fines for both littering and illegal dumping. Both offenses may be viewed as a misdemeanor or a felony. In ten states, the weight or volume of waste helps to determine the severity of the crime.
For example, in Colorado, littering is considered to be a petty offense with fines that only range from $20 to $500, but if you are caught illegally dumping in Denver, you could face fines up to $999. Littering in Arizona could result in a fine, but it you are caught dumping more than 300 pounds, or 100 cubic feet of trash, you will be facing a class 6 felony and the consequences for such.
How Can a Dumpster Rental Help?
If you have a large amount of debris, the easiest, as well as the legal, thing to do is to rent a dumpster. The company you rent it from will bring it to you, as well as pick it up. This means you do not have to worry about loading the trash onto your truck, taking it to the dump, or even offloading it once you arrive at your destination.
The amount a dumpster will hold is measured in cubic yards. A ten foot dumpster will hold 10 cubic yards of trash. For example, a cubic yard is equivalent to 3 feet long x 3 feet high x 3 feet wide. This is often the size of a small desk, lateral file cabinet, or a couple of two shelf bookcases pushed together.
The consequences of breaking the law greatly outweighs the cost of simply renting a dumpster, or properly disposing of small amounts of trash. Do your part to keep the world clean, call a dumpster rental company the next time you need to get rid of large amounts of trash. Howe else can a dumpster rental help? Click here to check it out.