The Salvation Army in Young has once again had to sort through piles of mess after Christmas.
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Eight truck loads of waste was shipped from the charity outlet to the tip following the Christmas period.
The mess grew in the seven days the store was closed.
“We certainly appreciate people donating and the fact people drop stuff here, but it has to be clean and usable,” Salvos’ Store Manager Mark Wells said.
It isn’t something that’s uncommon.
Mr Wells said it was a year-long problem which gets worse in December and January.
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“This was more than previous years, it’s progressively getting worse each year,” he said.
“We did eight truck loads of rubbish to the tip. We were only closed for seven days, and of course we’re stuck with a lot of things, like fridges. It costs a lot to get rid of them.
“In terms of man power and runs to the tip, it costs a fortune. I’m not sure what the problem is.”
We certainly appreciate people donating and the fact people drop stuff here, but it has to be clean and usable.
- Salvos' Mark Wells
He urged people to donate the right things.
“It has to be something you’d be happy to give another family. It has to be clean and working,” he said.
Mr Lindsay Rae, Director of Centres, St Vincent de Paul Society Canberra and Goulburn, said the amount of “broken or unwanted” donations increases at this time of year.
“It is a very small number in the community that shifting their waste cost to charities. Broken and unwanted donations that can’t be used are often placed at our stores after business hours and this increases at the busiest time of the year for us,” he said.
“Generally speaking, donations to all charities increase at Christmas and New Year as people have time to sort through their belongings, it is the busiest time of the year for our volunteer workforce dealing with the tonnes of donations on a daily basis.
“Overall for Vinnies, donations have generally been equal with last year. The greater majority of our donors are very mindful of what we can take and use.”
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Vinnies asks people not to leave donations outside the shops, rather come back during opening hours when volunteers are able to take the donations inside.
According to Mr Rae, Vinnies Young donations have “dramatically increased” in the past few months, however 80 per cent of floor stock still comes from the Canberra warehouse.
Vinnies tips on how to be an “Ace Op Shop Donor”
Quality donations:
- Men’s clothing
- Women’s clothing
- Children’s clothing
- Manchester
- Shoes
- Handbags
- Hats
- Accessories
- Children’s toys
- Board games
- Books
- DVDs
- Household furniture
- Homewares
- Bric a brac
How to donate:
- Drop off into the Centre during the opening hours of your local Vinnies
- If provided, leave in the donation bins outside of opening hours
When not to donate:
- Please ensure that you only donate during operating hours.
What we can’t take:
- Baby car seats, prams or cots
- Mattresses
- Electrical items
- Damaged or broken items
