Since September 2020, special investigators, the so-called Waste Investigation Service (EDA), have been in Dortmund to stop illegal waste dumping. Carelessly throwing away rubbish is no longer seen as a minor breach of the rules, but as a serious criminal offence.
In recent months, garbage investigators have increased their cooperation with the police and the Dortmund public prosecutor's office in order to find those who pollute more quickly and bring them to justice. This collaboration has already been successfully carried out with the environmental and public order office of the city of Dortmund and the EDG (Entsorgung Dortmund GmbH). They are now working even more closely with the special environmental crime department of the Dortmund Public Prosecutor's Office and the Dortmund Criminal Investigation Department.
This more intensive cooperation allows investigators to identify waste offenders more quickly and prosecute them. The entire legal process, from investigation to punishment, is now faster and more efficient.
A good example of successful collaboration was the discovery of sensitive patient records from two doctors' practices in blue bags on a street. The EDA employees discovered this and handed the case over to the public prosecutor's office for further investigation.
The garbage investigators not only focus on wildly dumped garbage, but also on places where garbage is often dumped illegally, such as container sites. The EDA teams are now increasingly deployed not only during normal times, but also on weekends. As a result, many waste producers have been caught on site, reports the EDG management.
In addition to the undercover investigations, it is important for the investigators to educate the people on site. When litterers are caught, investigators talk to them to explain how to properly dispose of trash and why illegal dumping is harmful.
In addition, the EDA accompanied all EDG free bulky waste collection dates on site last year and the year before last. The EDA employees informed citizens about permitted types of bulky waste not only on the collection days, but also in advance.
Source: https://www.recyclingmagazin.de/
