Photo of kitchenware exposes major problem for Aussie charities
Piles of unwanted household goods were left next to a Sydney charity bin despite a sign warning of a $850 fine for illegal dumping.
A damning photo showing unwanted goods dumped beside charity bins in Sydney has enraged locals and sparked a discussion on the importance of "conscious donating".
One local was not impressed by the illegal dumping next to a donation bin on the corner of Church Street and Salisbury Road in Camperdown, despite a message on the bins warning people they can be fined $850.
"That's dumping not donating," one person responded to the image shared in the Street Bounty-Inner West Facebook group. "Donation bins can’t take half this stuff," another said.
Yahoo News Australia understands this is a common occurrence for the recycling company Helping Hand Recycling who collect from the bins every few days. They will inevitably have to throw away the items into landfill.
'It's about conscious donating'
Given that charities are "overrun," and leaving clothes outside creates unnecessary waste and hassle for them, Riley Aickin from textile recovery and recycling organisation Upparel recommends the donator creating a "dialogue" with the charity.
"It's about conscious donating rather than 'I don't want this anymore so now it's someone else's problem'," he told Yahoo News Australia.
"Go to your local Salvos when they're open and ask, 'what do you need?' and if it can't be donated, use a recycling service.
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"Of the volume we receive both through consumer and commercial partners, 60 per cent of that gets diverted to 450 charity partners in Australia."
He also recommended “looking in your local community and the causes that are nearby you,” whether that’s by "chatting to your local community centre or even schools”.
Besides Apparel, people can use the home pickup recycling service SCR Group, which is free once a week to City of Sydney residents through a partnership. Items that can be picked up include small electronics, clothes, bed linen, fashion accessories and toys in good condition, as well as worn and torn clothing.
SCR group has also been working hard to reduce dumping at donation sites, reminding those who use the service that leaving items outside of the bins is illegal and can incur heavy fines.
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