Illegal dumping research

Statewide research on illegal dumping behaviour in NSW is published on average every 5 years.

The EPA publishes state-wide research on average every five years to provide insights on what motivates businesses and the community to illegally dump and how we can change that behaviour.

The research is conducted with government, industry and community stakeholders and a state-wide benchmark for monitoring changes in knowledge, attitudes and behaviours.

Key 2025 findings, compared with 2019, show:

Illegal dumping by community members dropped from 22% to 13%, while remaining at 26% for businesses.
Kerbside dumping by community members decreased from 20% to 10%, and from 17% to 10% for businesses.
Awareness that kerbside dumping is illegal increased from 48% to 75%.
98% of councils report it as an issue in their area, with one in seven spending more than $500,000 a year on clean-up and enforcement.
Bulky household items remain the most dumped material, with kerbsides, roadsides and bushland the worst hotspots.

These evidence-based insights will guide future compliance, prevention programs and enforcement measures, including informing the next Illegal Dumping Prevention Strategy.

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Updated 19 February 2026