Latest news with #litter
Yahoo
4 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Discovery under roadside sign exposes 'frightening' reality of deepening Aussie crisis
As Australia's population continues to expand in record numbers, there is an urgent need to solve the housing crisis sweeping almost every part of the nation. But doing so is having far-reaching ramifications for the environment, with wildlife fatally impacted by busier roads and an ever-growing problem with waste and illegal dumping as housing rapidly expands into rural areas. Photos supplied to Yahoo News this week lay bare the issue in sobering light. One image shows a massive pile of litter directly under a sign warning of fines of up to $6,000 for the destructive act. The "frightening" reality, one resident who painstakingly collated the rubbish from the 30 metres surrounding the sign told Yahoo News, is that if he hadn't picked it up, "it would all still be there". The resident, who asked to remain anonymous, told Yahoo that he grew fed up with looking at the piles of discarded items near the sign, so he decided to give it a quick tidy-up. But the mess took six hours over three days to remove. While this small stretch of Ironbaark Road, which connects Baccus Marsh to Ballan on the outskirts of Melbourne, was clear, thousands of kilometres of road in the region remain covered in litter and illegally dumped items. "This sort of thing happens on roads all over Victoria," he said. "I get the sense that people just don't care." Rubbish overtakes up-and-coming Aussie suburbs Last year, Melbourne was crowned Australia's most liveable city thanks to its affordability, infrastructure and access to education and culture. In 2024, it also had the highest level of population growth in the country, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, with developers scrambling to keep up with demand. Bacchus Marsh, near where the photo was taken, is an up-and-coming suburb on the outskirts of Melbourne, popular for its new housing developments and affordable house prices. As the cost of housing reaches record highs, Aussies are increasingly being pushed into regional areas, with developers racing to keep up with the demand. Illegal dumping has become an unintended consequence. Danny Gorog, CEO and founder of council reporting app Snap Send Solve, previously told Yahoo News illegal dumping "signals a bigger issue with waste disposal accessibility and awareness". "Whether it's dumped tires in fields or household waste dumped in laneways, it shows we need better solutions to make proper disposal easier and more convenient. While most people do the right thing, it only takes a few to create a big mess for everyone else." In Victoria alone, there were 263,000 reports of illegal dumping to Snap Send Solve last year, exposing just how widespread the problem is. The Melbourne resident who is documenting the problem in his local area said that he is "confronted with plastic waste" every time he leaves the house. "There is not a day where I don't feel compelled to clean up something. The only way to avoid seeing the mess we are in is to stay at home," he said. What are the penalties for littering? As the sign above states, littering can result in a maximum penalty of $6,000 if the matter goes to court, but on-the-spot fines are only $200. Moorabool Shire Council councillor Steven Venditti-Taylor previously told Yahoo the problem is exacerbated by the fact that "no one is taking accountability for it". He believes the council is doing everything to battle the problem, but there is a "lack of care" from key stakeholders in the region — including both developers and residents. Why is littering such a big issue? When materials like plastic are exposed to the environment, they break down into smaller pieces, forming microplastics, which can enter ecosystems, where they can have harmful effects on humans and animals. Microplastics have been recorded in even the most remote parts of our planet, and there is evidence that their toxins affect every level of creature — from tiny insects to apex predators. They are present in more than 1,300 animal species, including fish, mammals, birds and even humans. Microplastics have been identified in the water we drink, food we eat and even the air we breathe. Scientists don't know the full health effects of microplastics in humans, but there is evidence they cause inflammation, immune responses and damage to genetic information in our cells, which can lead to cancer. It's predicted that by 2040, the release of microplastics could more than double. Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@ You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Photo of $6,000 fine warning exposes 'frightening' reality of deepening Aussie crisis
As Australia's population continues to expand in record numbers, there is an urgent need to solve the housing crisis sweeping almost every part of the nation. But doing so is having far-reaching ramifications for the environment, with wildlife fatally impacted by busier roads and an ever-growing problem with waste and illegal dumping as housing rapidly expands into rural areas. Photos supplied to Yahoo News this week lay bare the issue in sobering light. One image shows a massive pile of litter directly under a sign warning of fines of up to $6,000 for the destructive act. The "frightening" reality, one resident who painstakingly collated the rubbish from the 30 metres surrounding the sign told Yahoo News, is that if he hadn't picked it up, "it would all still be there". The resident, who asked to remain anonymous, told Yahoo that he grew fed up with looking at the piles of discarded items near the sign, so he decided to give it a quick tidy-up. But the mess took six hours over three days to remove. While this small stretch of Ironbaark Road, which connects Baccus Marsh to Ballan on the outskirts of Melbourne, was clear, thousands of kilometres of road in the region remain covered in litter and illegally dumped items. "This sort of thing happens on roads all over Victoria," he said. "I get the sense that people just don't care." Rubbish overtakes up-and-coming Aussie suburbs Last year, Melbourne was crowned Australia's most liveable city thanks to its affordability, infrastructure and access to education and culture. In 2024, it also had the highest level of population growth in the country, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, with developers scrambling to keep up with demand. Bacchus Marsh, near where the photo was taken, is an up-and-coming suburb on the outskirts of Melbourne, popular for its new housing developments and affordable house prices. As the cost of housing reaches record highs, Aussies are increasingly being pushed into regional areas, with developers racing to keep up with the demand. Illegal dumping has become an unintended consequence. Danny Gorog, CEO and founder of council reporting app Snap Send Solve, previously told Yahoo News illegal dumping "signals a bigger issue with waste disposal accessibility and awareness". "Whether it's dumped tires in fields or household waste dumped in laneways, it shows we need better solutions to make proper disposal easier and more convenient. While most people do the right thing, it only takes a few to create a big mess for everyone else." In Victoria alone, there were 263,000 reports of illegal dumping to Snap Send Solve last year, exposing just how widespread the problem is. The Melbourne resident who is documenting the problem in his local area said that he is "confronted with plastic waste" every time he leaves the house. "There is not a day where I don't feel compelled to clean up something. The only way to avoid seeing the mess we are in is to stay at home," he said. What are the penalties for littering? As the sign above states, littering can result in a maximum penalty of $6,000 if the matter goes to court, but on-the-spot fines are only $200. Moorabool Shire Council councillor Steven Venditti-Taylor previously told Yahoo the problem is exacerbated by the fact that "no one is taking accountability for it". He believes the council is doing everything to battle the problem, but there is a "lack of care" from key stakeholders in the region — including both developers and residents. Why is littering such a big issue? When materials like plastic are exposed to the environment, they break down into smaller pieces, forming microplastics, which can enter ecosystems, where they can have harmful effects on humans and animals. Microplastics have been recorded in even the most remote parts of our planet, and there is evidence that their toxins affect every level of creature — from tiny insects to apex predators. They are present in more than 1,300 animal species, including fish, mammals, birds and even humans. Microplastics have been identified in the water we drink, food we eat and even the air we breathe. Scientists don't know the full health effects of microplastics in humans, but there is evidence they cause inflammation, immune responses and damage to genetic information in our cells, which can lead to cancer. It's predicted that by 2040, the release of microplastics could more than double. Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@ You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube.
BBC News
7 days ago
- General
- BBC News
New bins installed along Tees in Stockton after 50 were scrapped
New bins have been installed along a stretch of land where 50 were previously removed after funding 2023, the Canal and River Trust (CRT) got rid of bins along a stretch of the River Tees in Stockton, saying it could no longer afford to meet the cost of emptying about litter have been raised regularly since, but Stockton Borough Council has now installed four new bins to help keep the area leader Lisa Evans said the local authority had listened to "what people have said about not having bins in this area". "The ward councillors and I have worked with CRT to install four new bins on their land, and the council will be maintaining them to make the area cleaner and a nicer place for everyone," she said."We've listened carefully to what people have said about not having bins in this area, which is very popular with both dog walkers and other visitors."Volunteer litter pickers had been cleaning up the stretch after the bins were CRT previously said it could no longer afford the annual £30,000 cost to maintain the Sean McGinley said the charity was facing soaring costs and stretched said it was upsetting that "people are still leaving litter, which then finds its way into the river". Follow BBC Tees on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.
BBC News
23-07-2025
- General
- BBC News
Canterbury's shrubs removed after urine and beer poured on them
Decorative shrubs have been removed from a city centre after they were found to be damaged by urine and other liquids being constantly poured over plants, in St George's Street, Canterbury, Kent, had suffered from "urine, alcohol, fizzy drinks and hot drinks", according to the city planters containing the shrubs had also been filled with cigarette ends and general litter, so they will now be filled a statement the council said: "It's not how we wanted it to be, but having tried to make the planters work, it's time to do something different." The authority is working on a plan to extend the benches to cover the spots where the planters said this work could take some time. The damage was discovered during a general clear up of St George's Street, which runs through the heart of Canterbury.A scrub deck machine was used to clean the pedestrianised area, while a second device was used to remove discarded chewing gum.
BBC News
21-07-2025
- General
- BBC News
Bradford Council urges residents to clear fly-tipped waste
Persistent fly-tipping outside homes is caused by residents in some areas of Bradford and should be cleaned up by them, Bradford Council has was being dumped in some areas by the people living there, rather than people from outside the neighbourhood, council officers told a said that the authority was not obliged to keep clearing up rubbish from back streets that are not public roads and that it did not have the budget to continue doing Riaz Ahmed told the meeting: "In a lot of cases it is the public who has to make a change, not the council." A report by council officers said the repeated clean ups had put "pressure on the service"."The council assesses each site on its own merit and cannot always have a blanket approach to removal of this waste," they case should be investigated to establish any leads, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service."Resident participation in catching perpetrators of waste crime is essential, such as sharing information or assisting in the deployment of cameras," officers Hussain, Bradford East area co-ordinator, told the meeting that litter was "not people coming from outside to dump this waste"."It is sad to say but it is residents," she carrying out litter picks will be given council equipment, she council report said the fly tipping would be investigated and followed up to catch the "perpetrators of waste crime". Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North
