The issue, which involves large items such as wardrobes and mattresses being discarded at locations meant solely for clothing donations, continues to worsen despite notices indicating that “leaving items outside of bins is an offence”.

“I’ve noticed bikes, scooters, just wheels and just rubbish,” one resident said.

Southern Cross Recycling Group (SCR Group) has been significantly impacted by the costs associated with managing illegal dumping. 

“Our major concern isn’t about what’s placed inside; it’s about the inappropriate dumping happening outside of the bins,” stated chief executive Joe Carbone.

SCR Group currently collects approximately 1.75 million kilograms of illegally dumped rubbish annually in Victoria, which costs about $500,000 to dispose of. 

The situation is expected to worsen following an increase in the Victorian Government’s tax on landfill waste.

“When you add that to our site fees, our permit fees, our disposal fees, it gets very close to where the charities were probably at 20 years ago, thinking ‘is this worth it?’,” Carbone said.

If illegal dumping continues in the way it does, charity bins are at risk of being phased out altogether because operators will be buried financially.

“Without these clothing collection points, we’d see a rise in (landfill), which is the last thing we want,” Professor Alice Payne, Dean of the School of Fashion and Textiles at RMIT, said.