Charity stores across Queensland have been forced to dispose of thousands of kilograms of unusable donations as they grapple with a spike in post-Christmas dumping.
Key points:
- Charity Vinnies says it had to take thousands of kilograms of donations to landfill after Christmas
- It says people are leaving them at shopfronts after hours, where they get wet and become damaged
- Rates of illegal dumping in bushland, rivers and on kerbsides around Townsville have also risen, according to the council
The St Vincent de Paul Society (Vinnies), which operates more than 150 stores across the state, said people had increasingly been using their stores as dumping grounds for poor quality second-hand items.
Executive Officer Sharon Nicholson runs Australia's largest Vinnies store in the north Queensland city of Townsville.
Despite opening its doors just four months ago, she said staff were spending hours each week sorting through piles of donations that had been dropped off outside opening hours and left to go mouldy.
"This is just causing chaos," Ms Nicholson said.
"They're being rifled through, they're getting wet with the weather … we have no choice but to gather them all up regardless and take them to the tip."
'Big strain' on staff
Volunteers have used forklifts to shift hundreds of kilos of unwanted clothes, toys, garden tools, furniture, electronics and white goods that have accumulated at the West End depot in recent weeks.
"This year in particular we are noticing a real shift in volume," Ms Nicholson said.
"We just do not have the resources to be able to cope with the influx of donations … so it really has put a big strain on our resources."
General Manager of Operations Drew Eide said stores and donation hubs across the state were feeling the pressure.
"People use the time off in late December and January to do some decluttering and making room for their new Christmas presents," he said.
Mr Eide said in the past financial year, the not-for-profit supported nearly 250,000 Queenslanders in need of financial assistance, with calls for help jumping by 25 per cent.
With many Queenslanders combating a cost-of-living crisis, tight housing market and recovering from recent flooding events, Mr Eide said the need for second-hand goods remained huge.
"Ensure your donations are of usable quality, that means no tears or stains or damage," he said.
"We always say that if you wouldn't give it to a friend please don't give it to Vinnies, that won't help us."
From shop front to bushland
According to the Townsville City Council, the problem of dumping has extended well beyond the doorsteps of charity stores.
Between December 2023 and January 2024, there were nearly 150 reports of illegal dumping in bushland, rivers and on kerbsides across the city.
In comparison, 95 instances were reported in the same time frame the previous year.
Dave Dudley has been running local community clean-up group Tidy Up Townsville since 2019, with dozens of volunteers.
"You've got a lot of people coming and going at Christmas time. We generally see a spike in it [dumping] because of the transient nature of Townsville," Mr Dudley said.
"It's just general Christmas waste, people build it up or they're too lazy to get rid of the stuff properly.
"They just throw it in the back of the ute and dump it in the bush."
Mr Dudley said while the situation had worsened in recent years, the routine community clean-ups had deterred some would-be offenders.
"They're [volunteers] keeping an eye on things and the dumpers see this and go, 'There's a good chance I might get caught so I'll go somewhere else'," he said.
He reminded the community a trip to the local landfill tip often came at no expense.
"Let's take responsibility for our home, you only get one," he said.