Although most donations are welcome, charity shops can quickly become a dumping ground for things that are no longer useable.
Echuca Epicentre Op Shop manager Evie Cummings said the best thing to do is to bring donations in to the shop during opening hours.
“We encourage the community to bring in donations during our open hours, that way we can educate people on what’s acceptable and what isn’t,” she said.
“We get good quality items dropped off after closing hours too and they end up being ripped into or upended and things will end up soiled and broken.”
Ms Cummings said that among things such as soiled mattresses, broken furniture and ripped clothing, there have also been instances of people dropping off their general rubbish.
Only items that are in good working condition and can be reused should be put into the charity bins.
Dumping unsaleable items into charity bins can be classed as littering and the EPA or councils can take action against people who are clearly not really donating but dumping.
According to EPA chief executive Lee Miezis, donations are appreciated but dumping can get people into trouble.
“Our charity shops appreciate the donations, but they aren’t the place to take broken or tatty items,” he said.
“Donating is good, dumping is bad; bad enough to get you in trouble.”
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