$100K fine possible as city tries to clean up growing illegal dumping problem in Mississauga

Illegal dumping is on the rise in Mississauga and city officials say it costs the municipality more than $100,000 a year to clean up the mess.

Used furniture of all sizes (including filing cabinets), household waste, tires, paint cans, propane tanks, yard waste and construction materials have been turning up in city parks and trails and on roadways and sidewalks more frequently than ever as many people and businesses are taking the easy way out when it comes to getting rid of their garbage, City of Mississauga officials say.

Broken kitchen and bathroom fixtures, discarded pieces of wood and other car parts such as mufflers are also among the trashy mix that’s been abandoned and scattered across Canada’s seventh-largest city.

Officials say construction and renovation materials such as concrete, asphalt, drywall, tiles, paint cans and baseboards are commonly dumped on city property.

So far this year, the city’s 311 call centre/information line has received some 299 reports of illegal dumping, a significant increase from 2023.

Additionally, the city noted in a news release, “there are also examples of residents dumping motor oil, cooking oils, cleaning products, solvents and pharmaceuticals into the city’s storm drains (the square grates on the side of city streets), which contaminate the stormwater system and Lake Ontario.”

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Mississauga officials are imploring residents and businesses to dispose of their garbage the correct way. If they don’t, they can be subject to fines ranging from $500 to $100,000 for illegally dumping on city property.

“Beyond the environmental impact, it burdens the city with significant financial costs for cleanup efforts and operations, tallying up to more than $100,000 annually,” officials said.

It can be difficult to issue fines against offenders, the city added, as most incidents of illegal dumping lack eyewitnesses.

As such, the city is focusing more on preventing dumping to begin with and educating residents and businesses on where and how to dispose of items.

To date in 2024, the city has issued two fines for illegal dumping. Both of the fines were issued against businesses.

Mississauga parks seeing a spike in illegally dumped items include Carolyn Creek, Willowcreek Park, Fletcher’s Flats, Silverthorn Park and Woodgreen. Picnic areas with the most cases of illegal dumping include Jack Darling Memorial Park, Lakeside Park, Mississauga Valley, Paul Coffey Park and Meadowvale Sports Park.

“While illegal dumping comes down to certain individuals and companies making poor choices, there are steps we all can take to keep our city clean,” officials said.

“Dumping waste on city or private property without permission is illegal. It damages our natural environment, is costly to remove, poses a risk to public safety and is harmful to wildlife and human health.”

(Photos: City of Mississauga)

Municipal officials figure most illegal dumpers do so mostly out of convenience.

“It’s easier to dump something in a nearby park or parking lot than wait for the weekly garbage pickup or make arrangements to properly dispose of it,” they said. “Many people who illegal dump assume that the city will take care of it, not realizing how expensive and labour intensive it can be. They’d rather choose convenience than pay the extra expense to have it properly removed by a waste disposal company or take it to one of the Community Recycling Centres.”

And the problem doesn’t stop there, the city added, pointing out there are those “who discreetly try concealing their discarded items behind trees, dumpsters, within bushes, hoping to avoid detection. They don’t see it as an issue and don’t care about the impact their actions have on the community or city resources.”

In some cases, officials continued, illegal dumping encourages others to add their own waste to the pile, and the unwanted items pile up in parks and other areas of Mississauga.

So far this year, 1,080 tonnes of discarded items have been removed from Mississauga parks at a cost of $88,000, city parks officials said.

They added they’re dealing with a specific issue at King’s Park, just off Dixie Road near Pearson Airport, where approximately 1,596 tonnes of materials have been dumped with an estimated removal cost of more than $100,000.

Visit the Peel Region website to learn how to properly dispose of waste.