An effort to prevent illegal dumping in North Philadelphia by helping would-be violators pay to dispose of waste legally is working, according to the nonprofit North10, which launched the program last fall.The program provides free vouchers worth $120 for waste disposal at the Richard S. Burns & Co. recycling center on Rising Sun Avenue in North Philadelphia. Anyone looking to haul construction and demolition waste can receive the vouchers. Haulers can use QR codes posted at five dumping hotspots in Hunting Park and East Tioga, which will connect them to community ambassadors.
So far, the project has resulted in over 250,000 pounds of debris delivered to Burns, according to the nonprofit. Staff at North10 say that’s over 250,000 pounds of waste that has not been dumped on neighborhood lots and street corners. “We believe that it would have just landed right in our neighborhood,” said Rosemary Duarte, director of neighborhood impact services at North10.
Advocates fighting illegal dumping have identified the costs of private waste disposalas one reason that some small contractors dump illegally. The city’s free sanitation convenience centers are not open to commercial contractors and do not accept construction and demolition waste.