Springfield, OR Trash & Recycling: Illegal Dumping (2026)

Section 4.428 of the Springfield Municipal Code, titled Deposit of Refuse Upon Property of Another or Upon Public Property, is written broadly: it is unlawful to throw, dump, place, deposit or drain waste on land belonging to another person without the owner's permission, or onto any public property, road, highway, street, alley, or easement used by the public. The list of covered materials is specific and expansive, covering cans, glass, nails, tacks, broken dishes or crockery, dead animal carcasses, old clothing, old tires or automobile parts, boards, metal, and any garbage, rubbish, trash, debris, or refuse, plus sewage or drainage from a cesspool or septic tank, or any substance that would mar the property's appearance, create a stench, or otherwise detract from its cleanliness or safety.

A second sentence closes an obvious workaround: it is also unlawful to place any of those materials into a dumpster or receptacle belonging to, or sitting on, another person's land without that owner's consent, so a neighbor's cart cannot be used as a free dumping site either. Section 4.426 works alongside this rule to separately bar depositing human or animal excrement or other objectionable waste in an unsanitary manner anywhere in the city. Development and Public Works and the Springfield Police Department handle enforcement of dumping complaints on public rights-of-way, streets, and alleys throughout the City of Springfield, Oregon; complaints on private land typically start with the property owner reporting the deposit to the city.