The Chair of this Task Force, Sidney Parker of Travis County, has been gathering some data over the last couple of years regarding the effectiveness of No Dumping Signs. With limited funding and manpower, No Dumping Signs can be a low cost way to address this challenge – but are the signs effective?
According to Sidney’s data, the answer is yes, but only if the signs are used appropriately.
First of all, the most effective signs have the following characteristics:
- Made of metal
- Large size
- In English and Spanish
- Are placed strategically
Here are the signs that the CAPCOG region is now using:
An important note about the placement – Sidney has found that placing a sign ONLY at the problem dump site is not effective. Most likely, the dumper has already made their decision by this point, so the sign does not serve as a deterrent. On the other hand, if signs are placed at entry points along the way to the dump site - as well as at the dump site - the signs are much more effective.
Sidney’s theory is that this placement adds more psychological value to the signs – potential dumpers see the message over and over, not only when they are going to dump, but regularly along their normal driving routes.
Do the signs actually reduce instances of illegal dumping?
Here is a chart that shows, as an example, five dump sites tracked over a year and a half. For these five sites, dumping was reduced by 100 instances or 68%.
(Click image for larger version)
What does this mean regarding costs for a County?
One sign costs about $276 when the cost of the sign and the labor to install is included (this cost includes about $26 for the sign and post and about $250 in labor which includes employee’s time, travel, and insurance). It is estimated to cost about $500 for the County to clean up one illegal dumping instance. So if we look at these same five sites as an example, the County saved about $53,000 over the year and half by installing the No Dumping signs.
(Click image for larger version)
It is impossible to quantify exactly how much of this reduction can be attributed to the signs alone as opposed to other contributing factors, but we do know that sites with signs do see a decrease in dumping.
Of course, signs alone will not solve the problem of illegal dumping. But, if done right, they can be a low cost way to have an effect on a problem that plagues many communities.
Ashley Fisher
Posts
Good article. The real question though is does it deter dumping or does it only deter dumping in that location and they just go somewhere else where the signs don't exist to do the dumping?
ReplyDeleteI concur with Scott. A follow-up to this story should be an examination of whether there has been an increase or decrease of dumping in the area of the study sites and whether there has been and increase or reduction in dumping in that county overall which could be attributed to education and enforcement efforts. I would be interested in that information.
ReplyDeleteThanks for those comments! Taking a look at the bigger picture would be helpful to tell more of the story.
ReplyDeleteHaving been an environmental investigator for 14 years, it has been my experience that signs can certainly reduce dumping at a particular site if it coincides with frequently removing illegally dumped waste. I have also seen many dump sites with a sign and large amounts of debris. It did not appear that the sign deterred any dumping. I do believe a sign might deter a person thinking of dumping waste out of convenience for the first time in their life. On the other hand, if a person is dumping for commercial gain, he more than likely will choose another site.
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