Did you hear the news? As of April 1, the Municipality of Yarmouth will begin enforcing the reverse onus clauses of the Solid Waste Resource Collection and Disposal By-law S-088-20. To prepare for this date, we will be sharing information to help you become informed and learn about the easy alternatives to illegal dumping and littering.
To begin, there are some important terms that you should be aware of:
Illegal dumping
The abandonment of materials in an unpermitted area such as commercial waste containers, wooded areas and public property.
Solid waste
residual garbage, recyclable material and compostable material, as well as any other type of waste defined in the Solid Waste Resource Collection and Disposal By-law S-088-20.
Waste
Any substance that would cause or tend to cause an adverse effect if added to the environment.
Reverse-onus: a person whose name or address is found within illegally dumped waste is deemed to be the owner of the material.
Litter
Any material left or abandoned in a place other than a container or place intended or approved for receiving such material.
Illegal Dumping
Did you know that illegal dumping isn’t always a pile of garbage in the backwoods? It also includes littering, bags left on the side of the road or in the ditch, putting waste in commercial dumpsters, and items that blow off the back of a truck because the load was not secured or covered.
From April 1, 2021, to March 31, 2022, the number of illegal dumping reports for the region was 149, of which 68 were located in the Municipality of Yarmouth. Illegal dumping is unnecessary, unsightly, costs all taxpayers and is hazardous to the environment and animals.
Litter
Littering can be more harmful than you might imagine. In addition to making our surroundings unsightly and dirty, it can also attract pests and affect our wildlife.
Litter includes any material left or abandoned somewhere other than a place intended or approved for receiving such material, such as a garbage can. It also includes material that may, intentionally or unintentionally, exit from a moving or stationary vehicle. Remember to secure your load!
If you are outside and unable to find a garbage can to dispose of your waste, hold on to it until you find one, or dispose of it at your home.
Easy Disposal Options
The Municipality of Yarmouth provides a wide range of safe, easy, and cost-effective disposal options for virtually all types of waste!
Municipal residents have available to them bi-weekly curbside collection of regular household waste, the presence of trash cans to dispose of waste on the go, bi-weekly pick up of bulky items in most areas, metal pick up three times a year, and free or low cost of dropping materials off at the Transfer Stations.
Curbside Collection
Curbside collection is a free service that is available to all residents, year-round! With the collection occurring near your home, waste disposal has never been easier.
Each week, recyclables are picked up, with the collection of organics and garbage occurring on alternating weeks.
For specific dates and the items that will be accepted, check out Waste Check.
Transfer Station
Residents can take their sorted waste to the Yarmouth County Transfer Station at 1935 Hardscratch Road, where the transfer station is open Monday-Saturday. Tipping fees are waived for sorted waste up to 200 kg per household per week. This service is available to residents throughout the year!
To learn more about the Yarmouth County Transfer Station, visit Waste Check.
Bulky Items and Metals
It has never been easier to dispose of bulky items and metals!
Bulky items such as furniture can be put out for curbside collection bi-weekly on garbage collection day, while metals can be put out three times a year.
For specific dates and the items that will be accepted, check out Waste Check.
Reverse Onus
What is reverse-onus? Reverse-onus means that a person whose name or address is found within illegally dumped waste is deemed to be the owner of the material. If the owner fails to provide the name of the person responsible for dumping the waste, the owner is held accountable for the clean-up and resulting summary offence ticket, if one is issued.
Enforcement
The illegal dumping of waste is a serious offence, punishable by fines from $500-$5000, issued by a By-Law Enforcement Officer. This is on top of the costs incurred during the cleanup of the site.
To be clear, this penalty has been explicitly outlined in our Solid Waste Resource Collection and Disposal By-law S-088-20, since its effective date on August 4, 2020. The Municipality has not enforced this by-law to date but will start doing so this April.
These fines are easily avoided, as the Municipality provides a wide range of safe, easy, and cost-effective disposal options for virtually all types of waste.
Do your part to help keep our beautiful corner of the world clean. Together We Can Stop Illegal Dumping.
