Wyndham council has vowed to crack down on people who dump rubbish and unusable items at charity shops.
Wyndham’s environment and sustainability portfolio holder Cr Heather Marcus said the council had recently fined six people for leaving rubbish outside some Werribee charity stores.
Each person was fined $311 for dumping objects such as furniture, clothes, toys, broken televisions, prams and general rubbish at the shops.
Cr Marcus said that every year, charities and opportunity shops were forced to spend tens of thousands of dollars disposing of rubbish left on their doorsteps.
“Not only is illegal rubbish dumping an eyesore and damaging to our environment, it also reduces the ability of charity stores to help those in need,” she said.
Cr Marcus said the council’s Litter Task Force was also in the process of developing new ways to tackle rubbish dumping.
“Council takes dumping and littering very seriously,” she said.
“We know that many residents are concerned about it and we are determined to make a difference by using every method at our disposal.”
Cr Marcus said the council’s Waste and Litter Strategy aimed to totally eliminate illegal dumping in the municipality by 2040.
She said residents who wanted to dispose of broken televisions and other small electrical appliances could take them to the Refuse Disposal Facility at 470 Wests Road in Werribee, for free.
“You can also book two free hard and green waste collections each year by calling council,” Cr Marcus said.
“All furniture, mattresses, white goods and green waste will be taken for free.”
Anyone who witnesses rubbish being dumped in Wyndham can call the council on 9742 0777 or visit wyndham.vic.gov.au.
