We’ve all experienced it before, discarded beverage cans and jettisoned pieces of trash lining our highways and on-ramps, old furniture and unwanted belongings left curbside adjacent to and in front of our homes and used automobile tires piled sky-high in vacant lots. These are just a few examples of our daily experiences with illegal dumping.
A perfect example of a city that has just had it with the criminal acts of illegal dumping, is Youngstown, Ohio, as they are now resorting to setting up cameras to catch the fly-tippers. Mayor Jamael Tito Brown is announcing to the city that “enough is enough.” Many of their litterbugs are even turning up as the city residents themselves, deserting waste items ranging from abandoned tires to dangerous objects such as construction rubble. The litterbugs are treated and prosecuted as criminals, sentenced to jail-time and community service if caught.
Youngstown has also developed an establishment for their litter regulation, called Green Youngstown Litter Control and Recycling, supported by the Keep America Beautiful organization. Youngstown is infuriated by its illegal dumping problem, and with these new agendas in place, they are hoping to see a shift in the tides soon.
Another city that is more than fed up with illegal dumping is Chicago, Illinois. Their newest legislation, termed the Illinois Environmental Protection Act, aims to prevent cases of illegal dumping by means of criminalization and prosecution of persons suspected of the heinous crime; as well as preventative measures such as surveillance cameras installed at regularly dumped areas.
If more municipalities become inspired by the methods of these proactive cities, illegal dumping can easily become a thing of the past.