WA Pilots Program To Cut Dumping at Charity Bins

The Government of Western Australia is piloting a new program to help charities reduce illegal dumping at their premises. 

The scheme will provide financial support to charities that implement measures to reduce such activity at their shops and collection sites.

WA Environment Minister Albert Jacob said the “Better Practice Program for Charitable Recyclers” was being developed to address concerns about the amount of illegal dumping at charity bins, which was a significant financial burden for the not-for-profit organisations.

Starting next year, the program will include grants for charities to implement measures, such as lighting, fencing and education, to discourage illegal dumping. The State Government will also provide rebates to participating charitable recyclers for the cost of disposing of the waste at landfill sites.

“Most people do the right thing, but the illegal dumping of unwanted goods at charitable premises is a significant and growing problem,” Mr Jacob said. “While Western Australia’s rate of casual littering is coming down, the incidence of illegally dumping rubbish is still very high.

“When people thoughtlessly dump their damaged or unwanted goods at charity bins and stores, the charity is then left to cover the costs of handling and disposal, which in some cases can amount to many thousands of dollars.’

The program will be complemented by the Department of Environment Regulation’s Illegal Dumping Team, which will patrol dumping hot spots and use covert electronic surveillance to identify offenders.

The Waste Authority is leading discussions on the initiative with a number of charitable recyclers including the Red Cross, Salvation Army, and St Vincent de Paul Society (WA).

 

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