An illegal act that some think is “harmless” is having a devastating impact on the Australian environment — and the problem is only getting worse, experts say.
The Western Sydney Weeds Authority (WSWA) is “seeing first-hand” a growing problem with people tipping lawn clippings over their back fences and dumping garden organics around their neighbourhood.
“People don’t really feel like they’re doing anything wrong,” General Manager Chris Dewhurst told Yahoo News.
“People feel a sense of shame associated with dumping actual litter, like hard rubbish. But garden waste, they feel like it’s quite benign or it’s going to rot away,” he said.
While it may be natural material, throwing garden waste into bushland can be hugely detrimental, “in some ways worse than litter,” Dewhurst added.
Unlike rubbish that generally stays where it was dumped, garden waste can contain seeds or root fragments and spread into nearby bushland.
As Western Sydney’s population continues to grow, Dewhurst said the problem is worsening. Especially in the spring, as more Aussies spend time in their gardens.
It’s a costly mistake. Those caught illegally dumping garden waste can face penalties ranging from $5,000 to $5 million or up to seven years’ imprisonment, depending on the severity.
Garden waste dumping a million-dollar problem
WSWA said it regularly identifies invasive species in dumped garden waste — including yucca, agapanthus, agave, spider plant, mother of millions and opuntia.
The most commonly dumped material is lawn clippings, which often contain weeds.
“If someone dumps, say, a wheelbarrow load of them, that’s essentially potentially 50 or 60 new plants growing in that patch,” he said.
According to the WSWA, weeds such as Mother of Millions and Opuntia (seen in the right image) are classified by the NSW Government as priority weeds, as they spread rapidly, making them harder to eradicate and causing major environmental and economic harm. Source: Yahoo News Australia/WSWA
These weeds can outgrow native plants, Dewhurst warned, as they can “spread with abandon” and “have an unfair advantage over native plants that allows them to dominate their growing space”.
Additionally, some weeds increase bushfire risk because of their flammability, reduce valuable wildlife habitat, harbour pests, and, in some cases, pose risks to livestock and people.
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Given such high risks to the environment, Dewhurst said staff who manage the spread of weeds estimate more than 85 per cent of the weeds originate in gardens, “and they’ve been spread in a lot of cases through illegal dumping”.
“So it would be in the millions of dollars if you wanted to extrapolate it out that way, as it would be a very high societal cost impact over the long term for people to be inadvertently spreading weeds this way,” he said.
How can you properly dispose of garden waste?
Dewhurst told Yahoo he believes “solutions are there for people”, as current disposal services are convenient and affordable enough to discourage illegal dumping.
“Our councils are well aware of this issue, and it costs them a lot more at the end of the day to have rubbish dumped. So it’s much more cost-effective for them to create sustainable waste disposal systems for their communities.”
Green waste disposal options vary from council to council, which is why Dewhurst suggests Aussies visit their local council’s website to check what services are available for their property, such as curbside bulky organics collection and composting solutions.
WSWA also suggests:
Destroy priority weeds — separate them, seal them in a black plastic bag, and put them in the sun.
Deposit non-priority weeds and garden waste into your green organics bin and priority weeds into your red general waste bin.
Decontaminate tools, machinery and boots to prevent spread.
Deliver larger loads to a green waste recycling facility or use your local council’s bulky garden organics collection service.
If you have an overflowing green bin, WSWA even suggests keeping excess waste in a container until your bin is emptied again.
Dewhurst stressed that most people dispose of waste correctly and responsibly, but a small group makes it a “big problem”.
If just half of those responsible change their behaviour, “it’s going to have a really strong impact on reducing it as an issue in our communities,” he said.
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