The Problem of Illegal Dumping in Long Beach: What You Need to Know Across the greater Los Angeles area, illegal dumping is becoming an increasingly serious problem that is affecting the aesthetic quality of neighborhoods while also posing a potential public health problem. There is nothing worse than waking up one morning to find that your child´s favorite park has been inundated with smelly garbage bags or that the empty lot in your neighborhood was chosen as the new home for dozens of old couches, mattresses, and other useless furniture. Local city governments have been attempting to curb the problem without much success. According to one recent letter sent to the Los Angeles mayor and city council: “Businesses and individuals are dumping more and more garbage, debris and harmful substances in the city’s public-right-of-way, contributing to urban blight and public health risks and leading to a lesser quality of life in impacted neighborhoods.” In some cases, this illegal dumping may be caused by individuals and businesses who are attempting to avoid waste removal fees. In other cases, people may simply not know how to get rid of their bulky junk items in a safe and legal way. Below, we explain why you should avoid illegal dumping, and why Junk King of Long Beach is the best option to help you deal with your waste streams. The Risks of Illegal Dumping Obviously, no one enjoys living in an area where piles of junk are the norm on every street corner. Besides causing an eyesore, however, illegal dumping also has several other more serious effects. Drop in Property Values: In neighborhoods where illegal dumping is a constant problem, homeowners and business owners may find that their property values are negatively affected. Because our homes, businesses, and other properties are often our most sizable and important investment, illegal dumping can cause serious economic consequences to people who unfortunately have to deal with other people´s trash. Public Health Risk: Illegal dumping sites are also a potential public health risk. Piles of trash can act as a breeding ground for insects like mosquitoes and flies. Also, animals that carry diseases such as rats, skunks, and opossums are also attracted to illegal dumping sites. Environmental Contamination: Of course, illegal dumps also negatively affect our local environment as well. Some possible environmental impacts of illegal dumps include polluting our water sources, including groundwater, streams, rivers, ponds, and lakes. Illegal dumps can also damage our soil quality, negatively affect our air quality, and negatively impact wildlife. Increase in Toxic Chemicals: Lastly, many of the items that get illegally dumped may actually be leaching toxic chemicals and substances into the local environment. Used electronics, appliances, and other sources of “e-waste” may leach heavy metals into the local environment, which can pose serious health consequences for nearby neighborhoods and communities. What California Law Says about Illegal Dumping For the above-mentioned reasons, illegal dumping is strongly frowned upon by local authorities. In the state of California, illegal dumping is prohibited under the Penal Code (PC) 374.3. This law states that you are guilty of illegal dumping if someone dumps waste on a public or private road, on publicly accessible private property, on other forms of private property without the owner’s consent, or in public parks. Illegal dumping in California is considered to be an infraction-level offense, meaning that though the consequences do not include any jail time, hefty fines can be handed out. For a first-time offender, a person who illegally dumps their junk can face a fine ranging from $250 to $1,000 while a third-time offender may face a fine up to $3,000. Also, a person can face additional charges for each day the waste remained where it was dumped, thus leading to potentially serious fines. In the case of commercial illegal dumping, fines can increase to $10,000 depending on the number of offenses. Why Should you Choose Junk King of Long Beach? It should be obvious by now that illegal dumping should not be an option for any individual or business in the Long Beach area. Besides causing serious harm to our neighbors, the threat of finds should also be a deterrent. So how exactly can residents of the Long Beach area find an easy and cost-effective strategy that allows them to get rid of their bulky junk items without simply dropping them off on an abandoned street corner in the middle of the night? Junk King of Long Beach is the top-rated professional junk removal company in the Southern California region. We offer the best prices to help residents of Bell, Bell Gardens, Bellflower, Carson, Compton, Hawaiian Gardens, Lakewood, Long Beach, Los Angeles, Lynwood, Maywood, Paramount, San Pedro, Signal Hill, South Gate, and Wilmington get rid of their large and bulky junk items, and virtually any type of junk that they may have sitting around their homes or businesses. Our professional junk removal technicians can help residents of these communities get rid of their heavy furniture items, construction debris, foreclosure cleanouts, yard waste, used hot tubs, or virtually any other type of waste. Other services we offer include appliance removal, electronics waste disposal, trash removal, and mattress disposal. As long as your junk is not classified as toxic waste, we can most likely help you get rid of it in a safe, effective, and environmentally friendly manner. Besides offering superior customer service and competitive pricing, Junk King of Long Beach is also proud to say that 60 percent of the trash items that we pick up are either donated, reused, or recycled. We have developed an extensive network of relationships with recycling centers, thrift stores, donation organizations, and others in the region who play a fundamental role in ensuring that your waste gets diverted from the landfill. Not only can we help you avoid illegal dumps, but we can also help you reduce your waste footprint by ensuring that the majority of your junk gets recycled or donated. Everyone in our community has a role to play in helping to address the serious problem of illegal dumping. Choosing to work with Junk King of Long Beach for your junk removal needs offers a simple and straightforward solution to getting rid of your junk in a safe, resourceful, and legal manner. The Problem of Illegal Dumping in Long Beach: What You Need to Know