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Director of Waste Management Angela Storey says the city often finds illegally dumped household garbage being dumped in city trash bins, which can quickly pile up. (City of Hamilton)<\/p>\nAs the warmer weather arrives, officials with the City of Hamilton say they\u2019re getting more complaints about illegal dumping of garbage and waste \u2014 and it\u2019s a widespread problem throughout the city.<\/p>\n
Angela Storey, director of waste management with the city, said every year as the snow begins to melt, her department starts getting calls about household garbage being dumped on city property. Those calls have remained consistent year over year.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIt creates a real environmental and financial challenge for our community. Dumped waste can contaminate soil and waterways, attract pests, and result in an unnecessary strain on resources that are required to maintain approved levels of service for residents in parks, on roads and at the curb,\u201d Storey said.<\/p>\n
In many cases, the city finds people dumping household garbage in parks and at city-owned trash cans, which can quickly pile up, she said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Director of Waste Management Angela Storey says the city often finds illegally dumped household garbage being dumped in city trash bins, which can quickly pile up. (City of Hamilton)<\/p>\n
Last year, the city received 1,572 reports from the public with concerns about garbage and litter. Of those, 1,407 showed signs of illegal dumping, meaning it was household garbage or waste that was disposed of on non-designated city property. According to the city, this often includes large bags of household trash, appliances, furniture, construction waste and landscaping or yard waste.<\/p>\n
So far this year, the city has confirmed 265 cases of illegal dumping throughout the municipality, which is on par with the numbers the city recorded for the same time period last year.\u00a0<\/p>\n
When household garbage is dumped on city property, city staff take on the responsibility \u2014 and the cost \u2014 of cleaning it up, Storey said. In some cases, the city is able to track down the person or group behind the illegal dumping and will issue a fine based on the time and resources needed to remove the garbage. According to the city, illegal dumping and littering could result in a fine of up to $10,000.<\/p>\n
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Garbage can be seen this month off Fiddlers Green Road, just north of Book Road. Storey says while illegal dumping happens throughout the entire city, in many cases people will travel to rural, less-populated places to dump trash on the side of the road. (Brittany Spencer\/CBC)<\/p>\n
\u201cThe fine varies and all of them are based on cost recovery,\u201d she said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Storey said since the start of 2026, 110 illegal dumping cases have resulted in fines being issued \u2014 just under half of the total cases reported so far this year.\u00a0<\/p>\n
‘Long-standing issue’ for farmers<\/p>\n
Storey said the city will only intervene when garbage is dumped on city-owned property, but the issue of illegal dumping is \u201cwidespread\u201d and dumpers often look to rural, privately owned properties to leave their trash.\u00a0<\/p>\n
In those cases, it\u2019s up to the property owner to take on the cost and work to clean up the mess \u2014 a situation that has frustrated many for years.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chris MacAulay understands that frustration well. She lives in Mount Hope and said in the last five years she’s noticed an increase in the amount of garbage she finds in fields and along ditches of rural roads in her area.<\/p>\n
“Sometimes there will be like three or four large garbage bags dumped,” MacAulay said. <\/p>\n
During the spring and summer months, she calls the city to report excessive littering or illegal dumping about once a month, she said. While the city’s response is typically good and the trash is dealt with within one to three days, MacAulay has also taken it upon herself to clean some of the mess she finds on her own.<\/p>\n
She goes for walks, especially along Chippewa Road and Tyneside Road between Mount Hope and Binbrook, collecting garbage and cleaning out the ditches.<\/p>\n
“I will fill and entire large garbage bag, easy,” she said. <\/p>\n
Beyond cleaning up her community, she said her goal is to help people understand that illegal dumping has a big and lasting impact on people, wildlife and the environment.<\/p>\n
“I want to raise the awareness that we are noticing this and we are acting on it,” she said.<\/p>\n
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According to the Ontario Federation of Agriculture, many of its members report finding piles illegally dumped garbage on their land \u2014 like this one in a field near Caledonia \u2014 and in most cases are left to deal with the mess themselves. (Brittany Spencer\/CBC)<\/p>\n
It’s a problem farmers are raising concerns about too. <\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s been a long-standing issue for a lot of our members,\u201d said Drew Spoelstra, the president of the Ontario Federation of Agriculture who operates a farm in Binbrook, Ont.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThey find garbage dumped at access points to their fields and driveways and farm entrances\u2026 it\u2019s a nuisance for farmers that we shouldn\u2019t have to deal with. There are other options for people.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
He said when garbage is illegally dumped on private agricultural land, municipalities will sometimes help to clean up the roadside and ditches, but for the most part it\u2019s up to the landowner to assume the cost and time to remove it.\u00a0<\/p>\n
While this is a problem he\u2019s hearing about from farmers throughout the province, it\u2019s especially prevalent in rural areas that border larger urban cities.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Farmers find everything from household garbage and old furniture to construction waste, dirt, sod and stone.<\/p>\n
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Drew Spoelstra, president of the Ontario Federation of Agriculture, runs a farm in Binbrook. He says illegal dumping remains an issue for farmers year after year. (Ontario Federation of Agriculture)<\/p>\n
\u201cThey dump that off thinking it\u2019s harmless, but there\u2019s biosecurity issues and all these things that farmers face on their properties and next thing you know, it could lead to contamination and other issues on the farm,\u201d he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
In response, many farmers will block off entrances to their fields and properties, but that\u2019s a solution that can only go so far, he said. <\/p>\n
And as more people move outside the city, the more people find rural places to dump trash. He’d like to work work with municipalities to give people more options for waste disposal and to help people understand the options already available.<\/p>\n
“Instead of taking it to a landfill, or transfer station, or recycling centre it’s sometimes easier for people to throw it out the window or back into a field and dispose of it and it’s not right,” Spoelstra said. <\/p>\n
“It’s something we’re going to continue to advocate against and advocate for better recycling opportunities and better access to these waste disposal type facilities.”<\/p>\n
City picks up big items, sends free trash tags<\/p>\n
Storey says the city provides good options for affordable and accessible waste disposal but suspects there could be a lack of understanding or knowledge about the options. <\/p>\n
She points to the free extra trash tag program and the fact that the city will pick up bulky or oversized items at the curb if people call the city to schedule a pick up. She also noted there are three drop off locations.<\/p>\n
Under the bulk item pick up program<\/a>, people can fill out an online form or call waste management and submit a request for large, bulky items that don\u2019t fit in a trash can, like furniture or mattresses, to be picked up from the curb on their regular collection day. The request can be made for up to four items at a time as long as each item is less than 90 kg, she said.\u00a0<\/p>\n The trash tag program<\/a> also exists for people who need to put extra garbage bags at the curb. Each household receives 12 trash tags by mail with their annual sorting guide and can request up to 14 extra tags throughout the year for free.\u00a0<\/p>\n If those options don\u2019t work, people can always bring their waste to a recycling centre.<\/p>\n \u201cThere are three community recycling centres in the city that accept recyclables such as yard waste, tires, scrap metal, electronics and hazardous waste for free and charge a small tipping fee to drop off garbage and bulk items,\u201d Storey said.<\/p>\n That fee is $11.50 for up to 99 kgs of garbage and $14 for more<\/a> than 100 kgs of waste.\u00a0<\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1776695232_844_default.jpg\")
Storey says anyone can report illegal dump sites to the city online or by calling waste management. (Submitted by Angela Storey)<\/p>\n