As the City of San Antonio spends more money and time cleaning up illegal dumping sites, it’s asking for San Antonians’ help to combat the problem.
A new advertising campaign called “Fight Dirty” is set to roll out in January, encouraging the public to report illegal dumping if they see it occurring. The city’s Solid Waste Management Department also will advertise its waste collection centers to let residents know that there are ways to dispose of unwanted items rather than dumping them unlawfully.
“Illegal dumping is a very visual problem,” said Marcus Lee, marketing manager for the Solid Waste Management Department.
The ads will be communicated through billboards, digital media and TV, he said.
The campaign comes as the city is devoting more resources to cleaning up spots where trash and other refuse is dumped illegally as well as cleaning up homeless encampments. The city approved $1.6 million in the 2024 city budget for illegal dumping, an amount that includes adding five more people to the cleanup team and funding the awareness campaign.
That’s an increase from $1.35 million in the 2023 fiscal year budget.
Last year, the department identified about 10,000 sites where illegal dumping had occurred within San Antonio city limits. This year that number increased to 11,500 sites, said Andrew Gutierrez, assistant director for the Solid Waste Management Department.
The unlawful dumping division started with six workers in 2022, and grew to 11 members in 2023.
Since creating the team, the group has performed 9,000 cleanups of 2,500 tons of garbage. Last year, the team cleaned up about 600 camps in wooded areas and drainage ditches.
Gutierrez said illegal dumping is happening in a variety of areas of town.
In June, three people were arrested for illegally dumping about a ton of wood material at the corner of Plumnear and Quintana roads on the far South Side. Illegal dumping has been a growing issue in poorly lit and in underdeveloped areas since 2014.
“It’s a thing that’s done either early in the morning hours or late at night,” Gutierrez said, making it hard to catch unlawful dumpers.
He said the illegal dumping crew is starting to track and identify commonly dumped items by taking photos to see what is being dumped. So far, they’ve identified household trash, bulky items and contractor materials.
Another concern is the dumping of hazardous waste, mostly paint materials, which can be harmful if they reach wildlife, plants or waterways.
“People that are illegally dumping don’t care what they’re illegally dumping,” Gutierrez said. “They don’t know how harmful some of that stuff is to our environment.”
City Council members said during a September budget work session that illegal dumping ranks high among residents’ concerns.
Illegal dumping can result in fines ranging from $500 to $2,000; large-scale dumping is prosecuted by the district attorney’s office. The illegal dumping team works with the San Antonio Police Department and have conducted seven stings that have led to three arrests, Gutierrez said.
The city wants to make residents aware there are alternatives to dumping bulky trash and other items illegally.
There are four city-run waste collection centers for residential customers with a copy of a CPS Energy bill and photo ID:
- Bitters Bulky Waste Collection Center at 1800 Wurzbach Parkway
- Frio City Road Center at 1531 Frio City Road
- Culebra Bulky Waste Collection Center at 7030 Culebra Road
- Rigsby Road Bulk Waste Collection Center at 2755 Rigsby Road
Items accepted at drop-off sites include auto parts, barbecue grills, cardboard boxes, car tires, carpeting, construction material and lumber, furniture, glass and mirrors, large appliances, mattresses, sinks, tubs, countertops and water heaters or AC units.
However, the facilities won’t accept bagged garbage, bed linens, brush, leaves, yard waste, clothes, hazardous material, mattresses with blood stains or bed bugs, railroad ties, soil, rocks and concrete, styrofoam, trash and unbagged insulation.
The next free landfill day is this Saturday, Nov. 4, from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. There are two locations available for drop-off on the far East Side and far West Side:
- Republic Services Landfill at 7000 IH 10 E
- Waste Management Landfill at 8611 Covel Road
