Illegal dumping is more than a nuisance. It damages Alberta's environment, imposes costs on farmers, municipalities and taxpayers, undermines responsible businesses and violates provincial law.
Dumping waste harms:
- Wildlife
- Water quality
- Public safety
- Municipalities
- Farmers
- Landowners
It will take all of us working together to stop illegal dumping and prevent the harm that goes along with it.
Tougher penalties are coming
We are cracking down on illegal dumping to ensure those responsible face consequences that reflect the severity of how their actions impact Albertans and the environment.
If approved by the legislature, stronger penalties are coming soon for people caught illegally dumping in Alberta.
Fines for individuals would increase to a $10,000 minimum and $100,000 maximum and fines for corporations would increase to a $100,000 minimum and $1 million maximum.
Courts would have the ability to impose jail sentences in certain circumstances.
Don't ignore it – Report it
If you see illegal dumping, report it immediately. Provide location information, videos and pictures if you can.
There are 3 ways to report illegal dumping, depending on where it happened and if there are immediate environmental concerns:
- If there’s an environmental concern, call Alberta’s 24-hour environmental response line at 1-800-222-6514.
- If it's on municipal land, call your local municipality.
- If it's on public or Crown land, call 310-LAND (5263).
Keep it legal
Many options exist to dispose of waste responsibly in Alberta.
News
- Cracking down on illegal dumping (September 30, 2026)