Ok - so this one isn't an amusing anecdote. Nor are they rest you are probably thinking - but I don't care (mentally sticking out tongue. Now there is an emoticon in need of invention).
I was assisting the local Oxfam this morning. Those who know me will appreciate that Oxfam are not my favourite charity - but never mind. As I arrived to chat to their assistant manager - who also works in my shop, and as they are throwing out the unwanted donations / rubbish, I assist in moving the sacks. There are 32 sacks of waste. As I am moving them, it is obvious that several of them are books and magazines, others are full of china, glass etc:
When I mention to him that he still isn't recycling this stuff - he just grunts a "Oh it's too much effort - we can't be bothered. If you care that much write to someone" This is a week after I had explained to him that he could get FREE salvage stickers from the council, and that all he had to do was seperate the stuff out and stick a sticker on the bag. Aparrently there are no policies for the organisation to make them recycle.
Seeth seeth seeth. Is this a sacking offense ? It would be in my shop! I am outraged (but sadly not suprised) that a corporate charity that claims to be so PC and there for the poor / oppressed / third world, can really not care about the environment or recycling basic stuff that they throw out.
They shan't be getting any more donations from me!!!
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4 comments:
Hi - I felt moved to reply to this. I'm a book lover myself, but I also work for a large charity, with shops.
Personally, I know that for us, the council refuse to take anything free of charge, and in fact we have to PAY a hell of a lot of refuse removal fees because we actually produce so much rubbish.
This is part of the reason that Oxfam began their 'Sorted' campaign nearly 2 years ago - because large charities pay so much for this removal, which eats into their charitable income. But we know that it's something that the general public don't realise.
I could regale you with stories of some of the actual 'rubbish' that people have donated over the years, that have cost so much to get rid of - one shop was being used as a dumping ground when the council closed the local tip. I think people thought the stuff was taken away for free because it was a charity - unfortunately it's not true.
Maybe you're lucky and your council is different, but in this case it sounds like the staff member you spoke to was just particularly ignorant of facts as well as apparently not bothered.
Hey hon
You rant away me little lovely, we've established previously that it's down to the individuals.
As short listed green business owner I think it's only right that you do write as one of the local business people!!!
Hmmm?!?
hi Eastendlass, and thanks for commenting.
I agree that much rubbish is dropped onto Oxfam - and that this then needs disposing of! I know that they are used as a dumping ground by the public. One of my policies with them, is only passing on books that I believe they can sell (rather than only dumping books I can't!) Actually they do charge for the rubbish collection here -
But, the recycled bags would be free rather than 93p per bag the council charges for rubbish. Even if they were paying the same amount, surely it is better to rycycle than not... But given that the sorting into different types then recycling would actually save money, it seems bizarre not to do it. !
All of the reports I have read suggest that the third world will be the ones who will suffer most through global warming. If the purely ethical considerations are not enough, then shouldn't issues of global economics persuade Oxfam that it was in the interests of their client base to do so.
On a completely different note, I think the tongue-sticking one has already been done:
:-P
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