As COVID-19 continues to keep people at home and indoors, some have taken to decluttering their basements and garages and cleaning up the yard. The waste created by those activities has meant an increase in illegal dumping in some parts of the province.

The Okanagan Forest Task Force monitors and cleans up the bush throughout the Central Okanagan, and according to member Kane Blake, illegal dumping in the region is up significantly over previous years.

"The back roads are starting to look a lot like the landfill," he told Daybreak South host Chris Walker. "There's way more garbage right now in the bush than probably there's ever been."

Although landfills in the region are open and accepting items, Blake said wait-times and the cost to dispose of waste are deterrents for people looking to offload garbage.

"I mean it's just sheer laziness," he said.

Ben Van Nostrand, team leader on environmental health services for the Columbia Shuswap Regional District said the Shuswap is also seeing an increase in illegal dumping.

"We're trying our best to curb that," he said, noting that the district has waived fees for yard and garden waste, appliances and metal at local landfills.

"I think what we're seeing is longer lineups at our transfer stations and landfills, due to having to maintain physical distancing at our sites and in accordance with the health authorities."

He said those wait-times have made residents frustrated, which has led to verbal abuse, and people ignoring directions from site staff.

Though landfills are considered essential, Van Nostrand said recycling and yard waste disposal are not, so if they continue to see this kind of behaviour from residents, they may consider closing those options.

"We're asking folks to maintain some patience, some kindness to those front-line staff who are just trying to do their jobs," he said. "Let's get through this together and and keep those sites open and those same sort of activities free and open."