A local op shop says a draft council policy to help charities cover waste disposal costs is very welcome, but not enough.
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Gunnedah Shire Council is proposing $1000 in funding a year to help not-for-profit charities to cover the costs of disposing of unwanted waste at the waste management facility.
Salvation Army family store manager Alma Cameron said dumping was a major problem after hours and many in-store donations were not up to scratch so there was weekly waste.
"I think it would be generous to say 20 per cent of what comes in is good enough to go on the floor," she said.
"We try really hard not to waste ... [but] if it's stained, soiled and smelly, we can't do anything with it."
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The Salvos fill a skip bin twice a week and also make trips to the rubbish tip, which adds up to about $200, increasing the store's running costs.
"It's costing us," Ms Cameron said.
"We have no choice, and that's the worst part."
When the store moved to Chandos Street in 2012, Ms Cameron said the decision was made to do away with charity bins to offset dumping but it's still happening on weekends and after hours.
"There are people that are deliberately dumping," Ms Cameron said.
"People have a clean-out and think they can dump it here."
New Salvos officer Marika Wallis said while council funds would help to offset costs, it doesn't address "the ongoing problem".
"It may seem like a lot [of money] but when you break it down, it gets expensive," she said.
Ms Wallis and Ms Cameron said despite the waste, they were grateful for the "quality" donations they receive because "without them we wouldn't be here".
Gunnedah's councillors endorsed the public exhibition of the draft Waste Management - Exemption from Charges for Not-for-Profit Charities (Orphaned Waste) Policy at last month's meeting.
"We hear on a regular basis that not-for-profit organisations in town like St Vincent de Paul, Salvos, those types of organisations, do receive lots of ... waste in their charity bins," council's planning and environmental services director Andrew Johns said at the meeting.
"People - some potentially well-meaning people - putting things in there that can't then be on-sold but also a smaller number of people putting in junk ... so the intention of the policy is to give them some relief from the burden of that waste."