Monday, October 3, 2011

Please Don't Dump It: dispose of thoughtfully

Home from a morning walk.  Now that - hopefully - the worst of a Melbourne winter is past, I am trying to start with a positive outlook.  I set off about 5.30am. Currently, the temperature is about 2degrees.  I came home with frozen, hurting hands in spite of gloves.

There's nothing like exploring your suburb when the majority of the population are still abed.  I live right in the middle of a major urban hub so the morning quiet is a good time for window shopping in places that one has to whizz past because of the major pace of traffic.

It was in this "window shopping" mode that I noted the boxes of stuff outside the local Salvos. 
Now the stuff outside my local Salvos was not of this quantity.

But the gleaner in me had to check out what was there.

I regularly complain about people who put good stuff out on their footpath.
Gleaners like me can take it - and hopefully will.
Because, with the sort of weather we have in Melbourne,
if unwanted goods are not disposed of thoughtfully,
rain and heavy weather will severely damage otherwise useful stuff.

But it is amazing how many people will not drive the few minutes to 
the Vinnies or the Salvos and give their stuff to the people 
who can maximise the opportunity.

At my local Salvos, I discovered that some people get there -
yet dump stuff that shouldn't be there:
empty Coke bottles, little empty boxes with rubbish in them.


Across the road at Vinnies, there was much more stuff outside their store.
About the same quantity as in the picture above.
As far as I could tell, it was not rubbish.

So please, when you are spring cleaning or moving house,
please dispose of your unwanted stuff thoughtfully.

  • Send your still useful and usable stuff in a clean state to your favourite charity.
  • Put recyclable material in your recycling bin. 
  • For larger and electrical items, please check with your local Council on how to dispose.
  • Put real rubbish in your rubbish bin.  
  • Please aim to keep material for the rubbish bin to the absolute minimum.

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