Municipalities have to dispose of thousands of tons of illegal waste

Thousands of tons of illegally dumped waste accumulate every year in Saxony's cities and districts, which have to be disposed of at great expense. Most of this is bulky waste and residual waste, but also building rubble, scrap metal and old tires, according to the local authorities. They are trying to counteract this with measures such as environmental detectives, education and awareness-raising work or exchange and repair offers.

More garbage dumped in Leipzig and Chemnitz

In recent years, Leipzig's city cleaning service has recorded an increase in the amount of garbage that has either been carelessly thrown around or deliberately dumped on street corners, for example. In 2024, 4,129 tons were removed, compared to 2,271 tons in the previous year. In 2022, the amount of such waste was 2,605 tons.

There are several reasons for this development: There is more and more packaging waste. In addition, the city is growing, which generally leads to greater use of public space. At the same time, some people are losing their sense of responsibility in dealing with these areas.

"The trend towards an increase in illegal dumping has been clearly evident in recent years," says Chemnitz. This year, the waste management company has already been called out 752 times to remove such waste. Last year, 668 jobs were counted. This resulted in costs of around 50,000 euros.

Illegal waste dumping is difficult to identify

Illegal waste dumping can be punished with a fine. Chemnitz city cleaning assumes that administrative offense proceedings can be initiated in around 20 percent of cases. To do so, it must be possible to prove that a specific person has deposited the waste.

In response to an inquiry, the city of Dresden stated that it is not usually possible to identify the polluter. In order to prosecute them, they would have to be caught in the act. If someone is known to be responsible for dumping waste, a corresponding report is filed.

Last year, 518 tons of illegal waste were removed in the state capital. In 2024, the figure was 479 tons - a similar amount to 449 tons ten years earlier. The costs for removal and disposal amounted to around 450,000 euros each year.

Hundreds of old tires in forest in North Saxony

The districts also have to contend with illegally dumped waste. In North Saxony, around 400 old tires were recently discovered in a wooded area near Laußig. According to the district administration, it was the second case in the region this year.

In 2024, around 290 tons of illegal waste were collected in North Saxony. A good 200 tons of this was residual waste that was simply disposed of in public areas. In addition, there were 59 tons of construction waste, 16 tons of bulky waste, 6 tons of green waste as well as other old tires and four wrecked vehicles. This resulted in costs of 300,000 euros.