Hard time for op-shop

By Tania Martin
EMERLD’S community opportunity shop doesn’t know which way to turn as it drowns in an overflow of used goods.
Organisers say the cessation of the Shire of Cardinia’s hard waste collection has led to many people dumping their unwanted goods at the op-shop.
Magda Lane of the op-shop said the recent reduction of charity bins in Emerald has also contributed to the overflow.
Ms Lane said the town has gone from having 12 charity bins to just four.
Shire, manager of governance and communications Doug Evans said the reduction in charity bins could be blamed on people dumping rubbish at the bins.
“Inconsiderate people tend to dump any and all things in and around these recycling bins.”
Mr Evans said the dumping of rubbish in and around these bins has become such a problem that many organisations have removed their bins.
“This is the reason that the number of bins in Emerald have been reduced. It is the organisations themselves removing the bins,” he said.
Ms Lane said the op-shop volunteers are working overtime trying to sift through all the donations dropped at the shop.
“Without a hardwaste collection there is nowhere for the overflow of unwanted belonging to go – so it comes to us,” she said.
Ms Lane said the op-shop has more than 40 volunteers and a lot of their time is now spent sifting through the goods that are dumped at the op-shop.
She said some days the donations pile up as high as the shop roof.
“We only use 10 per cent of what is donated,” she said.
Since the council stopped its hard waste collection last year, the op-shop has been forced to fill a skip with all the unwanted donations it gets.
Ms Lane said it costs the op-shop $100 a month to get rid of all the rubbish.
Mr Evans said the link between dumped rubbish and the hard waste services has not been mentioned to the council.
But he said the council is considering reintroducing a hard waste collection service and this will be considered as part of the council’s budget deliberations over the next few months.
Despite the overflow of donations, Ms Lane said the op-shop is very grateful for all the donations it gets but asks that people be selective in what they give to the shop.
“If you wouldn’t use it or wear it, don’t donate it because chances are nobody else will use it,” she said.
Ms Lane is hoping for the return of hardwaste services to reduce the burden on the op-shop volunteers.