Have a question about Philly’s neighborhoods or the systems that shape them? PlanPhilly reporters want to hear from you! Ask us a question or send us a story idea you think we should cover.

An effort to prevent illegal dumping in North Philadelphia by helping would-be violators pay to dispose of waste legally is working, according to the nonprofit North10, which launched the program last fall.

The program provides free vouchers worth $120 for waste disposal at the Richard S. Burns & Co. recycling center on Rising Sun Avenue in North Philadelphia. Anyone looking to haul construction and demolition waste can receive the vouchers. Haulers can use QR codes posted at five dumping hotspots in Hunting Park and East Tioga, which will connect them to community ambassadors.

So far, the project has resulted in over 250,000 pounds of debris delivered to Burns, according to the nonprofit. Staff at North10 say that’s over 250,000 pounds of waste that has not been dumped on neighborhood lots and street corners.

“We believe that it would have just landed right in our neighborhood,” said Rosemary Duarte, director of neighborhood impact services at North10.

Fighting illegal dumping with incentives, not fines

Advocates fighting illegal dumping have identified the costs of private waste disposal as one reason that some small contractors dump illegally. The city’s free sanitation convenience centers are not open to commercial contractors and do not accept construction and demolition waste.

Philadelphia’s efforts to combat illegal dumping rely on slapping dumpers with steep fines. North10’s initiative, funded with a $629,000 grant from the William Penn Foundation, takes a less punitive approach, using a combination of education, cleanups and incentives to try to keep vacant lots and street corners clean.

“We are not here to penalize,” said Rosemary Duarte, director of neighborhood impact services at North10. “We’re not here to ask any questions. Just take your trash, take it to the right place. We’ll give you money for it. We will assist.”

From January to July 2026, the 19140 ZIP code of North Philadelphia where North10 is located generated the most 311 complaints about “short dumping” or “illegal dumping,” according to a WHYY News analysis of data published by the city.

How does the cash voucher program work?

In order to receive a voucher, a person must present a valid photo ID. North10 limits vouchers to one per household or contractor per week. The program is open to professional contractors and individuals disposing of household waste. Each voucher covers the cost of disposing of 1 ton of construction and demolition waste at Burns, or more than 1 ton of clean wood, concrete or plasterboard.

In the last nine months, North10 has distributed over 250 vouchers, which the nonprofit believes have gone mostly to people living in the 19140 ZIP code. Duarte said interest in the program has grown since it launched last fall, with the organization now distributing about 10 vouchers a week.

“In the beginning stages it was like one or two a week,” she said. “Now, they’re flying through our doors, which means we’re making a difference.”

When the vouchers do not cover the full cost of a recipient’s waste disposal load, many have been willing to pay the rest of the bill themselves. Residents and contractors have invested a total of around $4,400 to supplement the vouchers for waste disposal at Burns, according to North10.

“That tells us that our community just needs a little help,” Duarte said during an event hosted by the anti-dumping advocacy group Trash Academy in mid-July. “They just need an extra hand.”

“If people are spending their own money, it just shows that people care,” Gonzalez added.

Illegal dumping prevention shows promise, but funding could dry up sooner than expected

The nonprofit has also cleaned up roughly 226,000 square feet of area in the neighborhood, including at five illegal dumping hotspots. Duarte said signs advertising the voucher program at these hotspots have helped deter repeat dumping.

“The signage itself was like, ‘Hey, here’s free money. Don’t dump here,’” Duarte said. “That was enough for them to say, ‘Wait a minute, if I don’t dump here but somebody’s giving me something for free, I’d rather call this number.’ And they’re doing that.”

Gonzalez said illegal dumping in the neighborhood has not stopped completely, but it has improved.

“The parks are cleaner, the area is cleaner near the daycares, the schools, the church and the community buildings,” she said.

Under its grant, the nonprofit’s voucher program was originally intended to last three years, but Duarte said due to the program’s popularity, North10 may end up exhausting the funding faster.

“We’re flying through it,” she said.

The nonprofit plans to apply for more funding to continue the program, she said.

Editor’s Note: The William Penn Foundation is a WHYY supporter. WHYY News produces independent, fact-based news content for audiences in Greater Philadelphia, Delaware and South Jersey.