Tamworth Salvation Army is the most recent charity organisation to remove donation bins

St Vincent De Paul removed their bins in the city 18 months ago, at the request of North West area manager Julie Crosby.

But the choice wasn't easy.

"It's a very big decision," she said.

"It's something that's been part of second hand charity shops for a very long time.

"A lot of my long-standing volunteers really struggled with the concept of not having donation bins, but now they see that it can still work."

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The bins were old and in a state of disrepair, but more importantly, they were becoming dumping grounds for items unsuitable for the store.

"We would have to take them out of the bins and then take them to the tip, and we get charged for tip usage just like everybody else," she said.

"That chews into our profits. Removing the bins has saved us quite a lot of money in tip fees."

All Vinnie's stores still take donations, staff and volunteers just ask that they are walked in.

The Salvation Army removed their bins before Christmas, mainly because of the rubbish scattered around them, store manager Jenny Cross said.

"It'd take our guys two hours just to clean up the mess before we even started doing any work," she said.

"What someone would leave at one o'clock in the morning is not what they give you at 10 o'clock when they have to face you.

"We will never have donation bins ever again."

Donations are still accepted at the back dock of the Peel Street store between the hours of nine and three, but if someone can't get there, it can be picked up through ringing the store.

On the plus side, "we are getting quality stuff again", Ms Cross said.

It's a lot to ask for volunteers to sort through dirty underpants, dirty nappies and dead animals, she said.

"I always say if you wouldn't give it to your best friend or a family member, why would you donate it to us?" she said.

One of a Kind Community Support reopened their donation bins to the public on January 16.

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