Photo of illegally dumped kitchen items exposes major problem for Australian charities

Australians are being called out for dumping unwanted goods at charity donation drop-offs, after a damning photo exposed the common habit.

One Sydney local shared a photo of a pile of unwanted kitchen goods illegally dumped near donation bins at the corner of Church St and Salisbury Rd in Camperdown this week.

The selection of pots, pans and other kitchenware — which appeared to be in good condition — was left next to the donation bins, despite warnings that illegal dumping carries a fine of $850.

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Charities advise against leaving donations on the ground as they can be damaged by vandals, animals or the weather and then cannot be sold.

The post sparked a disappointed response from Street Bounty Facebook group members who share items freely in the community to promote rescuing, reducing and reusing.

“That’s dumping not donating,” one person said.

“Absolute dumping,” another said.

Australian charities say they are forking out millions of dollars each year to deal with illegal dumping at donation bins and shops.

Charitable Recycling Australia, the national network for charitable recycling and reuse, estimates $18 million is spent annually in waste management and disposal costs for dumped and unusable donations.

The organisation’s statistics show Australians donate more than one million tonnes of clothing and goods each year, with 14 per cent of textile donations going to landfill.

Most donations are repurposed domestically (36 per cent) or exported for reuse overseas (33 per cent), while a smaller portion is sold in charity shops (16.5 per cent) or provided as welfare (0.5 per cent).

In NSW, charities spend more than $7 million each year to get send poor quality donations to landfill — money that could otherwise be going towards frontline services to help vulnerable Australians, according to NSW Environmental Protection Authority.

NSW residents dump an estimated 7,500 tonnes of goods and clothing each year, 4,400 tonnes of which is left around charity bins while another 3,100 is dumped near shops.

About 50 per cent of people who leave items outside charity shops or near donation bins do not realise their donations often end up in landfill, according to the EPA.

Charitable Recycling Australia’s message is to “donate responsibly” when considering what to give away.

“If it’s not good enough to donate to friends and family, it’s most likely not good enough for charity,” it says.

The EPA’s tips to donate responsibly include:

• Damaged items belong in the rubbish bin, not the charity bin.
• If your local op shop is closed or the donation bin is full, do not leave your donations outside. Wait for the bin to be emptied or ring ahead.
• Illegal dumping at charity bins and shop fronts can attract fines up to $4000.
• If your items are not appropriate for charity donation, contact your council for pickup.