Rubbish dumping outside charity store frequent occurrence

Rubbish dumping instances like this outside The Salvation Army Family Store in Hastings on Sunday are a weekly occurrence. Photo/Supplied

Rubbish is dumped outside charity stores every week in Hawke's Bay.

Last weekend piles of unsaleable goods were left outside and rifled through at The Salvation Army Family Store on Heretaunga St, Hastings.

The Salvation Army regional family store manager Nigel Waters said the charity did not like to draw attention to these events because they often increased with others thinking it was a good idea to leave rubbish outside.

"The more we highlight it, the worse it becomes."

However, it happened weekly and sometimes daily at most charity stores around the country and the world, he said.

"It's worse in the weekends."

The Salvation Army relied solely on donations especially goods at their family stores so it was always "unfortunate" when rubbish was left, he said.

To help charity stores people needed to donate their quality goods during opening hours.

The Salvation Army also ran a truck service in Napier and Hastings that collected donations from people's homes, Mr Waters said.

Often when quality goods were left outside a charity store they were stolen, or rifled through, urinated or vomited on, or used to sleep in.

Donating goods during opening hours would solve some of the problem, he said.

"We welcome all good quality donations ... we're tremendously grateful for the donations we get."

Any rubbish left outside a store had to be cleaned up by staff and taken to the tip which cost time and money, he said.

"We have to pay to take it to the dump - the same as everyone else - and it's not our rubbish."

On Monday morning members of the public helped clean up outside the Hastings shop which was "fantastic".

"Local community members rallied round and helped."

Many Hawke's Bay residents took to Facebook with their anger at the situation. Here are some of their comments:

- "Some people just have no morals"

- "Disgusting"

- "poor staff"

- "What's even more sad is the sallies have to pay for the junk to be removed!! WRONG WRONG WRONG!!"

- "This is so totally not fair. Where has all the morals/respect gone"

- "I went past the Hastings store last night and saw two people sifting through it all"

- "its sad about the mess"

- "Saw that today disgusting"

- "Need wardens there during weekend maybe. Till message gets out zero dumping there"