Polk County launches one-year pilot program to combat illegal dumping

HAINES CITY, Fla. - Illegal dumping has been on the rise over the past few years in Polk County, and now, the county is testing a customer convenience center to fight the problem.

The backstory:

Northeastern Polk County is a prime spot for illegal dumping, so the county is trying out a one-year pilot program that will establish a customer convenience center in Haines City at the Northeast Landfill site at 4001 Bannon Island Rd.

It will be a place where residents can safely dispose of household waste, yard debris, tires and scrap metal.

"We see convenience illegal dumping, tire illegal dumping, and, of course, people who don't know the rules [of] what can be picked up, so we see that type of dumping as well," said Katie Hayes, executive director of Keep Polk County Beautiful.

Keep Polk County Beautiful is a nonprofit organization that conducts cleanups, tire recycling and litter prevention.

"It's the broken window theory," Hayes said. "As soon as you start seeing trash, more trash accumulates. The community declines, so dumping and littering are bad, and they affect all of us."

By the numbers:

Through one of their programs, the nonprofit collects hundreds of pounds of trash each year. Last year, they collected almost 11,000 tires for proper disposal, and this year, midway through the program, they have already surpassed those numbers.

At the convenience center, there will be fees based on vehicle size and type, which will cover the cost of disposal.

The waste will then be transported to the landfill in Winter Haven.

"That's why it's a pilot project. To see if it's successful in curbing the illegal dumping in the area," said Brian Cogswell, director of Polk County Solid Waste. "That's why it's located in the area it's in, because that's where we've seen illegal dump sites, so we're trying to get it closer to the problem."

Hayes says she supports the county's latest initiative to keep Polk County beautiful.

"I definitely feel like every step makes an impact," Hayes said.

What's next:

The center will open on June 1 and will be continuously monitored. You can learn more about it here.

If it is successful, the site will remain open for a year. However, if residents don't use it, this pilot program could end early.