Calgary’s illegal dumping problem continues to grow: city

From tossed toys to discarded couches, cleaning illegally dumped trash is keeping city crews busy.

The City of Calgary is reminding residents not to dump their garbage in places where it doesn’t belong, saying it can result in a fine of up to $10,000.

The city received about 30,000 complaints of illegal dumping in 2025, and crews have been kept busy picking up the thousands of pounds’ worth of discarded material.

“It is happening across the city. It’s vacant lands, it’s alleys, it’s ditches, it’s commercial properties in their dumpsters, it’s behind people’s properties. It is definitely occurring across the city,” said Sharon Howland, the city’s leader of program management in waste and recycling services.

Illegal dumping—leaving furniture, appliances, garbage, renovation materials or other waste on public or private property without permission—is prohibited under local bylaws.

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Damian Cole, city spokesperson for community safety, says the issue has affected neighbourhoods across Calgary for years but has become more severe recently—particularly in northeast communities.

“Illegal dumping isn’t just unsightly; it creates real safety risks and pulls city crews away from other essential work,” he said.

Dumped waste attracts pests, creates fire hazards and makes parks, alleys and open spaces feel unsafe.

“Every illegal dumping call means resources are redirected from services Calgarians rely on,” Cole added.

It’s an issue that’s easy to spot, but it’s difficult to enforce, said Sgt. Kamaljeet Fischer.

“When people are reporting, we encourage them to be safe, first of all. And then if there’s a vehicle involved, if you know who did it, that would be really helpful to provide a description or the vehicle plate number.”

Last year, the city issued 165 tickets for illegal dumping on public property and issued three fines related to the dumping of household items.

Free Community Cleanup events begin

If you have junk to get rid of, the city encourages you to check out one of the many Community Cleanup events taking place across Calgary from April 25 through September.

The free events are open to all Calgarians.

For more details, you can visit calgary.ca/cleanups.