Illegal dumpers in Moncton will face fines, officials warn

People in Greater Moncton are being reminded they will face consequences for illegalgarbage dumping.

The warning comes on the heels of a new garbage sorting program launched by RecycleSENBthat seems to be causing widespread confusion.

Residents must nowseparate household trash into blue bags or green bags, depending on the nature of the material and whether it can be recycled.

Bags that don't comply will beslapped with orange rejection stickers and left at the curb. Residents must then resort the waste and put it out the following week. Otherwise, they could face a $100 fee.

Earlier this week, a bunch of garbage was discovered in a ditch just outside of Monctonin a new subdivision full of empty lots, just off Homestead Road.

"It doesn't look like rejected material," said RecycleSENB's general manager Andrew Wort. "It looks like paint cans and TV monitors, which are not things that would be part of the curbside collection program normally.

It's obviously very inconvenient and upsetting for the landowner or the neighbourhood that its dumped in.- Andrew Wort, RecycleSENB

"So maybe it was somebody coming to our site that didn't quite make it on time and decided they weren't going to take this waste home."

RecycleSENBhas onlyhad one other call about illegally dumped garbage, said Wort.But he's concerned people frustrated with the stickering of improperly sorted garbage will do the same.

"It's obviously very inconvenient and upsetting for the landowner or the neighbourhood that its dumped in," he said.

The provincial Department of Environment investigates illegal dumping cases.

Fines range from $500 to $50,000for individuals and between $1,000 and $1 millionfor companies, according to a spokesperson.