Why can't charity shops accept donations left outside?

[Paintpalette]

I'm forever seeing SM posts and increasingly bigger signs in the windows of charity shops near me who absolutely CANNOT be expected to accept donated bags which have been left on the porch.

Can anyone tell me why they are so furious about this?

When I've taken bags in to drop off directly with staff, they haven't made me wait while they check through every item to see if it meets a standard and I'm sure there have always been the odd unsuitable things that must be disposed of.

For what it's worth, I haven't left anything there or had it rejected, but if it was more convenient to drop off, I would donate more. Ironically enough, it means I fill the plastic bags put through my letter box which are collected from outside on the doorstep, which is apparently safe enough for them!

Because I imagine a lot of folk dump a load of shite on them which they then have to dispose of.

Well where I live it’s mostly because other people rip them open to go through the contents, chuck anything they don’t want all over the place pace and generally means that the whole lot is ruined. And someone else has to clean it up.

and then it gets rained on

I've seen it really pile up when they allow things to be left outside. I can see why they had to do something.

I suspect it’s partly that the council and other businesses object- makes the place look unsightly- and the fact that it’s more convenient would also mean that donations would increase and they don’t actually need that to happen.

I agree it’s a pain though and wish there were lockers or similar to leave stuff in at local recycling points

And dogs will piss on the bags.

It’s fly tipping to just dump stuff in doorways

For all they know it's been pissed all over while it's outside.

It is fly tipping. And it is exposed to the weather. I have seen a load of books outside a shop that would be no good to anyone as they got rained on.

It is also fucking lazy.

Is it acceptable to dump bin bags of rubbish next to a bin in a park? This is the same thing.

It's surely obvious that people would leave van loads of shite outside for the charity shop to sort through and dispose of.

Because people rip open the bags, ruin what's inside and leave it all over the pavement.

Because you'd be amazed how awful people are. My friend volunteers at a social enterprise baby shop and the bags of dirty shite that get handed in is ridiculous.

It’s fly tipping. Plus will get ripped up, pissed on.

Charity shops often pay a huge amount to have the tat and waste they are donated so the decently organised ones are being more careful about what they can accept. Unfortunately what you see for sell is just a part of the crap they receive in the make of charity!

It’s fly tipping and it also removes any chance for them to claim gift aid as you need to be there to confirm that.

Stop filling those bags that come through your door! They don’t go anywhere good.

The donations will be -
Damaged by rain.
Damaged by fox/dog/human wee or worse.
Rummaged through and damaged or broken.
People using the donation bags as a place to add rubbish as they pass so perfectly clean donations now have half a costa coffee poured on them or half a kebab stuck to them.
Foxes/seagulls rip the bags so donations are damaged or strewn all over the road.
Set on fire.

fly tipping and often pulled apart, and makes it difficult for volunteers to unlock premises (many of whom may be less ok with obstructions) and could be damp or wet. Not the same as charity bags which get paid a small amount for goods. Charity shops have to pay to dispose but collectors factor in that risk. And people (unscrupulous landlords, house clearances) leave all kinds of nonsense for charities to clear up. So handing over to a volunteer weeds this out for the most part

Gets rained on, animals excrement on them, people rummage and take the best.

If they find it first thing in the morning, they've no idea how long it's been there - it could have been put there 5 minutes before and be fine, or it could have been there all night, been peed on by wildlife, rained on etc.

We've got a children's charity near ours and some donations were left outside on Sunday night by the time the staff got there on Monday morning the bag was torn open stuff was destroyed and someone had poo'd in the potty that was donated. So they ask now to drop it off when they're open.

My mum volunteers at a charity bookshop.

They are there to raise money for the charity.

Some donations are not accepted - books in too bad a condition - no space in their storage etc. sometimes they ask people to come back but they're not a dumping ground for stuff that will not only never sell but is in appalling physical condition.

As above, but there is also a risk that some little prat, with the IQ of a geranium, will set it alight.

Image something/anything combustible taking hold. It doesn’t bear thinking about if there are flats or whatever, above.

Because it's littering!

As a former volunteer in a charity shop - I think previous posters have covered everything. Anything left outside is binned. Are there not any ‘bins’ for charities near you? Most supermarkets have them.

It's a charity shop, not a Tardis. They have finite space and will be picking and choosing what to accept.

Put it in a clothes bank instead (if it’s clothes/shoes).

Nobody leaves good quality stuff outside, to get pulled out and stolen or (more likely) chucked all over the ground to get wet and dirty. The stuff abandoned outside is basically rubbish for the store to dispose of at their cost.