The illegal dumping of items is so bad, it is costing the Anglican Op Shop in Goonellabah $500 a week in tip fees.

Stephen Hall the Anglican Parish of Lismore is making a desperate plea for residents to not dump their items out the front or to the side of their building on Rous Road.

"$500 a month is $6000 a year in council fees to remove the unwanted items," Stephen said, "That is $6000 that we cannot contribute to local charities such as the Winsome Soup Kitchen and emergency food aide."

While costing the Op Shop money, the actions of some are potentially harming the volunteers.

"Our shop is staffed by volunteers who have to sort through what is sometimes dirty and dangerous material."

While most people try and do the right thing there are some in the community that are treating the Op Shop like a dumping ground. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) suggest that "most people know that illegal dumping is wrong and they know it is socially unacceptable, however most people don't think they will get caught."

"It is so disappointing that people can do this under the guise of a donation", Stephen added.

What are the guidelines around donating items to a charity?

They can differ slightly from organisation to organisation, however the Salvation Army website states "Things that you would be happy to keep yourself but don't need anymore." Items like;

• Clothing and accessories
• Toys, books, CDs, DVDs and vinyl records
• Homewares
• Furniture
• Electrical goods

What charities don't want is anything that is broken, damaged, ripped, stained or in any way faulty. As a simple rule, if there's something wrong with it then charities can't sell it.

They also cannot accept:

• Computer monitors, printers, scanners and other hardware
• Building materials
• Car parts
• Weapons – including replicas and martial arts weapons
• Taxidermy animals

Then there are large donations like furniture, mattresses and white goods. There are certain government rules and regulations around accepting some of these items plus it depends on the size of the charities store so the best approach is to ring and ask or visit during trading hours.

This is the main message from all charities. If you do have something to donate to any charity, you are asked to do so during operating hours when staff can assess what you have to donate.

For the Anglican Op Shop in Goonellabah this is Monday to Friday 8:30am to 3pm and Saturday's 8:30am to 1pm.