Dumping and Running

Today, I was driving from North Prospect out to Mattis, which required me to drive past the smallest fireworks tent I ever did see next to Salt and Light.

I turned my head again to check out Salt and Light and piled up outside their clothing bins were couches that someone had just left. I see similar things at Goodwill when some poor employee or volunteer is trying to sort through the crap that was left behind while they were closed. 

There are bins for clothing recycling at a lot of the local stores around town. It clearly says, "Clothes and Shoes -- ONLY" on the bins. But every once in a while, I see piles of garage sale leftovers abandoned there for the non-profit agency to dispose of.

Here's a clue. If your couch isn't in stellar enough condition to not feel remorse that you're exposing it to random weather, vandalism or what not in the middle of a parking lot-- it's not nice enough to donate. Take that shit to the junkyard yourself. Seriously, don't burden social agencies around town with your garbage. If it is nice enough, call the lovely people at Habitat for Humanity's RESTORE. They may charge you a few bucks to pick it up, but it'll be safe and they'll take it away for you. 

Also, there's an etiquette to donating. Please don't do stuff like donate one shoe of a pair, used underwear or stuff that's stained beyond belief. You might have worn those things -- but that's okay -- they're your stains. You know where they came from. No one wants to wear your oopses. 

I think part of the reason I find this so annoying is that I used to be the person who had to sort through items like this at a local shelter. They were small and didn't have enough room to hold out of season clothing or to hang on to items for too long. The stuff that would come in that was unusable by the residents would get taken to other area organizations who either found homes for our unusable contributions OR sent it straight to the fabric recycling pile where thousands of pounds of clothes make the non-profit a couple hundred dollars.

I know this sounds ungrateful. But agencies spend all kinds of money they don't have on dumping fees to have to get rid of the unwanted items. What's worse is explaining to someone that a rusted out grill with no top that was a wedding present to him in 1964 isn't usable by our organization is a tough job, because clearly the donor is trying to do something nice for your organization -- and they're emotionally attached to the item.

Which begs the question -- do you then take it and quietly dispose of it or do you risk saying no, angering someone into not wanting to support you any more?  And if you say no, will the same grill sit abandoned outside another small social service organizations door two days later as you're running errands? 

Or here's an idea: Hit the YMCA Dump and Run in August. They'll knowingly take everything and sort through it after you leave it tagging some of it to be sold and as much as possible to be recycled. 

All August collections to be held at U of I Stock Pavilion (1402 W. Pennsylvania Ave. in Urbana)

• August 12 - 14: 9:00am – 4:00pm
• August 15: 9:00am – 12:00pm

This year's sale will be held at U of I Stock Pavilion (1402 W. Pennsylvania Ave. in Urbana) August 22-23, 2009:

• Saturday, August 22 from 8am - 5pm ($2 admission)
• Sunday, August 23 from 11am - 4pm ($3 bag sale; 1/2 price furniture), 4:30-6:00pm (Free sale)