At the end of another exhausting year, Canberrans are ready to chuck out the old and welcome in the new.
With summer cleaning imminent, the Salvation Army urges the public to refrain from dumping donations while Salvos stores are closed over the public holidays.
“Dumping becomes a huge problem for us around the Christmas break,” said Salvation Army Major Wendy Hateley. “We just want to remind Canberrans to hold onto their donations for a couple of days, until stores reopen.”
Prior to 2020, ACT donation bins were often found overflowing as local residents decluttered over the summer months.
Now that the ACT Government has reduced numbers of clothing charity bins, donation dumping has evolved into a new problem, Major Hateley said.
“Residents leaving big garbage bags of their summer clean-outs on our doorsteps and on the streets outside stores – unfortunately, this does lead to people tearing through the bags over the break, with much of the donations left on the footpath.
“Aside from the mess left for our staff to find after Christmas, this also means we can’t sell or distribute much of the donations.”
Sadly, Major Hateley had also witnessed cases of residents leaving bags of household waste among the dumped donations.
“The issue of people donating items that are beyond the state of reuse is year-round,” she said.
The Salvation Army sends 4,000 truckloads of dumped clothing and damaged goods to landfill every year, costing the charity $5 million in tip fees.
This summer, keep in mind that a clothing item that’s beyond wearable can be reused as mending or decorative patches, given to in-store recycling programs like H&M’s, stripped to ties, or used as cleaning rags. Natural textiles on their last legs can also be composted.
For those seeking to pay it forward these holidays, Major Hateley advises to think of gifts for teenagers who may otherwise miss out come Christmas.
“When it comes to gift-giving charity programs, many think of young children and Santa Claus, and then donate toys for kids under the age of 13. Finding presents for young children is generally much easier, so a lot of teens miss out on the holidays.”
She advises that gift cards are a thoughtful solution to the issue. “If you donate a gift card, parents can shop for their individual teenager’s present, or give it to them to pick something out for themselves.”
The Salvation Army Church is accepting gift card donations, at 2-4 Brisbane Avenue, Barton.
“I want to say a massive thank you to Canberrans, not only for being so generous with their donations, but for the quality of what they donate,” Major Hateley said. “That kindness goes a long way during Christmas time.”
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