Chiefly moves on charity bin dumping

schmeah said :

… previous posts on RA have mentioned that it is very expensive for those wanting to get rid of E-waste)…

In Gallagher’s press release it says a new scheme for e-waste is apparently on the way:

“The ACT Government is part of the new national e-waste recycling scheme which at this stage is due to commence midyear. Under that scheme televisions and computers will be accepted free of charge, but the cost of disposal will be built into the price of products.

I seem to recall reading about this scheme this before though – anyone know if this was supposed to happen before now, or am I dreaming?

bd84 said :

The people who dump this stuff simply don’t care.

I disagree. Most of the material left at charity bins is potentially useful and saleable. Your old TV or computer is no longer cutting edge but it still works and maybe someone else would like it. A box full of shoes, old textbooks – all these things host a lot of money when new and it’s a waste to pay good money to toss it away at the tip.

So you pile up the old crockery, Grandma’s old frypan, the painting of Elvis, the never read set of Readers Digest Condensed Books.

And the rains come and the sun shines, and the needy come along and remove what they need, and by the time the charity truck swings by, all that’s left is a lot of useless mouldering junk.

To which people not quite so charity-minded have added a bag of used nappies and a copy of Windows XP, along with other crap.

People aren’t going to stop producing junk. Why not ramp up the old Revolve system of creating jobs for the less skilled or unconventional workers, buy them a truck or two to pick up this sort of stuff from shopping centres or nature strips and let them do their thing? Sell whatever can be sold, junk the junk and do not bind the mouths of the kine etc.

Let’s face it, whatever management jobs were created by the Government to manage the mess aren’t doing what they’re paid for by talking about it and running public awareness campaigns and making overseas trips to Vegas to study the problem there.

North Sydney Council gives ratepayers two pickups a year. All you have to do is call the allocated phone number and they’ll come and pick it up on the next Monday. They do however come around on the Saturday and fine you if you are blocking the footpath. The bonus is the time of the pickup is at the discretion of the ratepayer.

When I lived in Manly, Warringah and Pittwater LGA’s they had pickups on designated dates. Problem with this is the streets look like a tip for two weeks before the pickup.

If Sydney LGA’s can arrange it surely the ACT Government can as well, or is it a little beyond them?

Just remove the bins and be done with it. My wife and I drop any goods off at the shop in Tuggers or Fyswhick when we donate. Not too much of a hassle to expect people to do this. Adequate CCTV can be installed close to these premises.

CCTV however is not a panacea. It’s not all as wizzbang as Spooks et al.

The problem will just be moved to somewhere else. The same problem being experienced with charity dumping at the bins also happens at their shopfronts, and is also a common occurrance at most multi-unit developments where people are just too bloody lazy to take their crap to the tip. Quarterly or half-yearly general rubbish pickups looks like the only solution. There, I can save the CM wasting our money having a chitchat about it.

If the Chief Minister actually read the countless updates about dumping on RA, she would know how the community thinks this issue should be dealt with, and honestly I don’t think they are unreasonable.

Install surveillance cameras at notorious dump sites
Actually fine those who are caught by said surveillance dumping at charity bins
Stop charging people through the nose to use the dump (while it’s reasonably cheap for odd bits and pieces previous posts on RA have mentioned that it is very expensive for those wanting to get rid of E-waste)
Trial a system where usable goods are left outside of homes for regular collection (such as what already happens in Melbourne)

Another death by committee talkfest isn’t going to solve anything.

legal_chick86 said :

Though, I dont think its just the case that people want to avoid a trip to the tip – they believe they are helping by donating and perhaps think “gee the bin is full – i guess if we leave it next to it, the bins will be emptied and we will have done our bit”… and so the next person comes along, thinking much the same.

It’s not about avoiding the trip to the tip, it’s about avoiding the fees at the tip. They dump stuff there because they can get away with it. Giving to charity is the justification, but you’ll notice that the stuff dumped on the ground is *always* complete shite.

legal_chick86 said :

You call it illegal dumping… we call is a miss-service to the needy! Who says the needy dont need a free tv? 😛

Actually, the “needy” say it. The charities will not accept CRT TVs because they literally can’t give them away. The great unwashed demand 50″ 3D LEDs, and seem to be able to afford them. And beer and ciggies and … cr@p, don’t get me started.

It’s dumping, full stop. And it’s illegal. I paid my $90 to toss 3 perfectly functional TVs the other day. It was galling, but that’s how it is these days.

(pls disregard this little rant if you were being sarcastic … the tongue-pokey-outy smiley didn’t trip my detector)

Scary how realistic that Life of Brian committee meeting really is!

Katy Gallagher will convene a roundtable

She’s taking notes from Life of Brian?

jonquil14 said :

Three simple words: hard rubbish pickup.

Or given the fact that the ACT government doesn’t want to provide us with one perhaps they could go round once a week and take away the rubbish.

If they take the bins away – people wont dump near them! Those who want to donate will surely stop by the wharehouse and hand it in there!?

Though, I dont think its just the case that people want to avoid a trip to the tip – they believe they are helping by donating and perhaps think “gee the bin is full – i guess if we leave it next to it, the bins will be emptied and we will have done our bit”… and so the next person comes along, thinking much the same. Soon enough,the car park gets full of junk that is no longer usable as it is rotten and unhygienic . Do they expect people to go back to the bins and get their stuff again only to have to take it to the tip because it wasnt picked up and donated accordingly!?

You call it illegal dumping… we call is a miss-service to the needy! Who says the needy dont need a free tv? 😛