Illegal Dumping Risks Local Families in Need

In an effort to reduce illegal dumping on charity operations, Cessnock City Council has teamed up with local charities to tackle the issue and has launched an educational campaign.  

Our local charities face dumping on a daily basis. But it isn’t just dumping that is a problem to charities. The Cessnock community members are necessarily ‘giving’ but we aren’t good at ‘giving good’. The quantity is there but not the quality. A lot of the material, clothing and nick-nacks that are given to local charities are not of saleable quality. About 10% of what is given ends up for sale in the shop! Whilst charities work hard to find alternatives, such as sending items overseas, the reality is many items have to be disposed of in landfill. The cost of disposal falls on local charities.  

This has a huge impact. The local Salvation Army in Cessnock regularly feeds 60 or more families who would otherwise go hungry. The funding for these services comes from the sales at the Vincent Street Op Shop. But this charity is at risk. Illegal dumping and inappropriate donations limit the amount of welfare work that the Salvation Army can fund and places a huge strain on the their workers and volunteers who perform such an important community role. Will we end up losing our local charities as a result?  

Local Captain of the Salvation Army, Darryn Lloyd commented “If you wouldn’t give it to a friend, don’t give it to us. Clothing that isn’t soiled and good furniture are always great but anything that is broken or damaged, we don’t have the capacity to fix and we have to dispose of it to landfill”.  

Cessnock City Mayor, Councillor Bob Pynsent commended the community members for donating but called on the community to improve the quality of the items given.  

“Local charities help our families in need and they don’t want to be dealing with rubbish. They want quality donations so they can do what they do best – help our community”.  

Mayor Pynsent also encouraged people not to just drop items outside of op shops. But to go in and ask whether it is wanted.  

The campaign will be visible in print, social media and feature on the side of one of our local garbage trucks.   If you see anyone dumping on a charity, report it. 

It’s easy to do by simply calling 131 555 or jump online and report it at ridonline.epa.nsw.gov.au. For more information, visit www.cessnock.nsw.gov.au/IllegalDumping

 1/17/2019