LOCAL relief services are encouraging residents to be thoughtful about donation items ahead of National Op Shop Week, which commences on August 23.
National Op Shop Week founder Jon Dee said many valuable items were donated by well-meaning people every year, however op shop volunteers also found bizarre items and rubbish among the treasures.
Some examples included a prosthetic limb, dentures, a bag of human ashes, bald car tyres, empty paint tins and even a dead shark. But Mr Dee said the strangest donation he had heard of was a bag of old prawn heads and shells.
“The Salvos alone spend up to $6 million dollars a year on disposal costs and landfill fees,” he said.
“That money could be going towards welfare programs that help people back into the workforce, or assist people after natural disasters.”
Captain Judy Brown from Swan Hill’s Salvation Army branch said they were always appreciative of any donations, but encouraged donors to call into the store to drop off items.
“While people are well-meaning, they often do not realise that there are some items we can’t collect. These items end up having to be disposed of,” she said.
For more on this story, grab a copy of Wednesday’s Guardian (August 12).
