Don’t be a dumper – the do’s and don’ts of donating at Easter

Keep Australia Beautiful Victoria is urging residents to make sure their “precious donations” don’t end up in landfill this Easter. According to enforcement training manager Travis Finlayson, 90 per cent of all donations left outside charitable shops or recycling bins winds up at the tip.  “And given that Easter and key holiday periods are when the bulk of donations happen, that is a lot of preloved clothing, household textiles and other items not getting a new lease on life or benefiting those in greatest need,” Mr Finlayson says.

Fifty per cent of donors to charitable stores are ‘model donors’, he says, cleaning and washing items before donating them in store; 40 per cent are ‘unintentional dumpers’ who want to do the right thing but don’t know the quality required or realise that leaving items outside is not acceptable; the remaining 10 per cent are ‘intentional dumpers’.

“And sadly, those primarily responsible for this enormous waste are those generous, well-meaning donors who unwittingly do the wrong thing,” Mr Finlayson says. “They have just completed their Easter clean-out and head to their favourite charitable or recycle outlet only to discover it is closed for the long weekend. Determined not to waste the trip, they place their donations neatly at the front entrance to the store. There are several bags there already, so they’re convinced they’re doing the right thing. Alternatively, they decide to press on and head to the clothing recycle bin hub at their local shopping strip or train station. The bins there are already filled to overflowing so they deposit their items in a tidy pile next to the bin.

“Without realising it and in both scenarios, they have left their donations exposed to being rifled through, picked over, and what is not stolen (is) scattered about in messy, windswept piles of litter open to the elements. This often means those quality items are no longer saleable and most likely end up in landfill.” Charitable and recycling shops are then left with a “hefty disposal and landfill bill which is estimated to be around $3.4 million annually”.

In a bid to reduce this waste and ensure donations go to where they are intended, Keep Australia Beautiful Victoria, the EPA, charitable and recycling shops, councils and land managers have begun a public awareness and education campaign in the lead-up to Easter to change donor behaviour, issuing these guidelines:

• If donating to a charity store, make sure you drop off your items during working hours. Donations left outside stores after hours can no longer be used.
• When donating to a store, ensure your donation is something you would be happy to pass on to a friend: clean, soil-free, stain-free, intact and in good condition. Ideally, pack your items in a bag or box.
• If your charitable shop is closed or the recycling bins are overflowing, hold on to the items until the store is open or clothing bins have been cleared.
• If your donations are not in resaleable condition, drop them off at your nearest clothing and recycling bin hub. Alternatively, take them to your nearest transfer station or include them in the next council hard rubbish collection. For those taking their items to the transfer station, there is no charge. Another alternative is a private home waste collection service. However, make sure the service is reputable – ask for identification, an ABN, and their contact details.
• When looking to deposit your items in a clothing bin, check that the bin is owned by a legitimate charity or recycler. To find out which are the reputable bins operating in your area, go to www.recyclingnearyou.com.au or www.charitybins.com.au

“Let’s aim at diverting as much as we can from landfill this Easter,” Mr Finlayson says. “Let 2022 be a critical turning point and the moment where we all do our bit towards building a true circular economy.”