SAN ANTONIO — Haskell Russell lives on the east side of San Antonio in a neighborhood where old mattresses and couches routinely line the sidewalks. He's not surprised anymore by what he sees.
“Just see a whole lot of trash, like people who dumping and don’t even give a care about it," Russell said. “Couches, tables, all kinds of stuff.”
Illegal dumping signs can be found throughout the residential area near J Street and Roland Avenue. This is among the various chronic dumping sites in the Alamo City, prompting regular visits by crews with San Antonio's Solid Waste Management Department.
"There's illegal dumping going on all over the city. There are some sites we know that we consider chronic sites that we go out and know there is going to be items out there," said Andrew Gutierrez, assistant director of the Solid Waste Management Department.
During fiscal year 2023, Gutierrez said Solid Waste Management performed more than 11,583 cleanups of illegal dumping sites, which is about 2,000 more sweeps than the previous year. The department has 11 personnel responsible for illegal dumping cleanups. Gutierrez noted the fiscal year 2024 budget did not allocate funds for additional personnel.
He said working with the San Antonio Police Department is vital in cracking down on the illegal dumpers.
"We've done some surveillances with SAPD, seven so far since we started this year and it's led to 3 arrests so we're planning to do more of those," Gutierrez said.
Financial penalties for those caught engaged in illegal dumping range from $500-$2,000.
There's now an emphasized focus on attracting community support through a public awareness campaign called "Fight Dirty."
"We call it an awareness campaign because we also want the community to also feel empowered to fight dirty and just own, realize this is everyone's problem," said Marcus Lee, marketing manager for the Solid Waste Management Department.
Lee stressed safety is important for residents who witness illegal dumping. Residents are urged to call 311 to report such activity.
"We're not asking anyone to engage anyone who confront anyone, just help us see the problem, help us find those locations, report them as quickly as you can," Lee said. "We have really high hopes for how well the creative was received that Fight Dirty will have an imprint, Fight Dirty will last."
The Fight Dirty campaign will hit social media and the airwaves beginning in January.
The City of San Antonio Solid Waste Manage Department serves more than 373,000 single-family households, offering weekly residential curbside trash and semi-annual collection of brush and bulky materials.
On Saturday, Solid Waste is hosting a free landfill day from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Locations include:
- Republic Services Landfill - 7000 IH E, 78219
- Waste Management Landfill - 8611 Covel Road, 78252
Customers must bring picture ID and receipt of their most recent CPS Energy bill that shows payment of the City's environmental fee.
Materials accepted include items like appliances, furniture and mattresses, carpet, fencing material and tires.
Rejected materials will be roofing material, sheet rock, lumber and industrial or commercial waste.