A Warrnambool goodwill agency is threatening to remove its recycled clothing bins if dumpers don’t change their dirty habits.
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The Western District Employment Access (WDEA) bins at Warrnambool’s AquaZone are regularly overflowing and the owners have had enough.
WDEA business manager Jack Melican said the bins could be removed.
“The community will lose the service if behaviours don’t change,” he said. “And that would be a great shame because it really does support local jobs.”
Teams from the employment support agency empty a dozen recycled clothing bins every Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
“We collect three times a week,” Mr Melican said. “We don’t have a problem with most of our sites but AquaZone does have issues.”
Mr Melican said he was occasionally notified of the overflow from staff at the recreational hub but admitted it was not their responsibility.
“We get fantastic support from Ray and his team. The problem lies with people dumping their rubbish in and around the bins in the middle of the night.”
“It’s because they are in a secluded location.”
The collection bins, Mr Melican says, are currently being used for “rubbish”.
“They are supposed to be for clothing, small kitchen items, small toys and books,” he said. “What we find in there is rubbish, actual rubbish.”
“If it was used for what it’s meant to be I don’t think we’d have a problem, so while we’re grateful for the donations we don’t want the rubbish.”
Fellow charity organisations admit the mess has deterred them from offering a similar service.
“We don’t have bins for that exact reason,” a St Vincent de Paul volunteer said. “Occasionally we have deposits at the front door but we’d rather people deliver their items to the store during business hours.”
A Warrnambool city council representative said people needed to be reminded of options.
“We’d encourage people, where possible, to deposit their clothing in another of the bins rather than heap them around full bins.
“Along with the bin at AquaZone there are bins at Flagstaff Hill, Woolworths Central, Good Start Childcare Centre, IGA Warrnambool and at WDEA Enterprises in Albert Street.”