Worcester Officials Want to Tackle Dumping Problem at Donation Bins
Monday, October 05, 2015
This request is the second in the past three weeks by a Worcester City Councilor in the ongoing effort to regulate donation drop-offs and put an end to dumping around clothing donation boxes.
City Councilor Kate Toomey and Mayor Joe Petty requested that the City Manager provide a report concerning the recent actions to enforce Worcester's clothing donation receptacle ordinance.
Councilor Toomey said the dumping at clothing bins has gotten to a “crisis point”.
Toomey said, "We would take things away and the next day it would be as if nothing had ever happened. It really boggles one's mind that a collection box for clothing is now all of a sudden is a collection boxes for couches...tvs...monitors, printers...It became a health and safety issue for the city. We have no idea what people are throwing in these bags and donating to the companies that have the boxes."
Toomey said, "Over the past several years, we've all gotten a number of phone calls from people saying 'Oh my god, look at the dumping at these collection boxes.'”
GoLocalWorcester has previously reported on the continued use of donation bins as areas for leaving trash and unwanted goods.
The boxes - two for clothes and shoes, and one for books - would routinely be the dumping grounds for furniture, televisions, yard waste, baby carriages and old mattresses.
GoLocal pointed out that the the boxes owned by St.Vincent’s were removed and the Epilepsy Foundation placed a POD receptacle and a donation box in the original location of the St.Vincent’s boxes next to a sign that read ““No Dumping. Area Under Surveillance.”
One day after GoLocal’s story was released, the Epilepsy Foundation placed workers next to the donation POD to accept donations and to stop people from dumping. Previously, the boxes were serving as the home for all sorts of furniture, stuffed animals, and appliances, as well as three couches and a recliner.
As of last week, the donation bins owned by Mint Green Planet and Earth Aid (pictured) on Lake Avenue in Worcester in front of the former Four Seasons restaurant were surrounded by an old televison, mattresses, and other garbage spilling into the street.
Repeated calls to Earth Aid’s president Wioletta Saleba have yet to be returned.
Editor's Note: GoLocal previously reported that the donation bins on Lake Avenue were owned by Earth Aid and Planet Aid. This is incorrect. The bins are owned by Earth Aid and Mint Green Planet. We apologize for this mistake and we will continue to strive for and provide accurate reporting in our news stories.
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