OVERVIEW

Approaching 700,000 people, Detroit is the most populated city in Michigan. In fact, in the top 50 most populated cities in the country, Detroit ranks at #21. However, with nearly 700,000 residents covering 140 square miles, the city has a low density in comparison to other major cities across the United States. This presents a unique problem in illegal trash dumping for Detroit. Due to the lack of surveillance and oversight in these low-density areas, they become the most susceptible to illegal trash dumping. On average, the Department of Public Works crew picks up 650 tons of illegally dumped trash and debris a week.