Vinnies is here to help - but not with your rubbish

Christmas may be over, but Vinnies Queensland is pleading for residents to stay off the naughty list for 2024 by not dumping rubbish and unusable items outside of shops.

Manager of General Operations Drew Eide said illegal dumping was a huge concern each year, as volunteers would often come back from the Christmas break to find stacks of rubbish piled outside local shops.

“Every time your local Vinnies is used as a rubbish tip, it costs time and money to remove and takes away from our real purpose – to sell undamaged pre-loved goods and raise funds to support people doing it tough in your community,” he said.

“A lot of people try to do the right thing but even good donations can turn bad if they’re left outside our shops, exposed to the elements, wildlife and thieves.”

Mr Eide said there were two easy ways people could help the charity start the year on a positive note.

“First, don’t leave your donations outside shops when they’re closed – hold on to them and donate them inside during opening hours,” he said.

“The other is to ensure your donations are of usable quality – this means no damage, tears or stains.

“Following these two rules will be a huge help for our Volunteers and ensure our shop funds are going towards helping people who need it most, rather than paying for expensive trips to landfill.”

Mr Eide said it was unfortunately not uncommon for the charity shops to be used as a dumping ground.

“We see anything from bags of rubbish and leftover food dumped in front of our shops – in one particularly awful case, we found two live kittens that were ‘donated’ outside one of our Far North Queensland shops,” he said.

“Vinnies is always here to help – but not by disposing of your rubbish.

“I’m happy to say at least those kittens are now safe and sound.”

To find your local Vinnies, visit vinnies.org.au/shops