Rubbish being dumped outside Salvation Army stores is costing the organisation hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Many Salvation Army stores have signage asking donors to leave behind “quality, re-useable items”. But many stores are finding people could be confusing treasure for trash.
The New Zealand Herald reports that staff are some times arriving at work to find torn, damp and mouldy clothing, broken electrical items and furniture and bric-a-brac that have to be thrown out, piled outside their stores.
Earlier reports say that items have included used condoms, dirty nappies and clothes stained with faeces.
The church spent $600,000 last year carting rubbish to tips – funds the Sallies would have spent on community projects. Its second hand shops make about $10 million a year.
In December, John Rossbotham, manager of the Catholic Church’s six St Vincent de Paul shops in Wellington, said loading up a van and travelling to the tip on Monday mornings was part of the “cost of doing business”.
He sympathised with the Salvation Army, but said “Vinnies” shops in Newtown, Miramar, Island Bay, Aro St, Johnsonville and Khandallah rarely had “donations” of household rubbish outside trading hours.
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