Volunteers are bracing themselves to clean up piles of rubbish dumped at charity stores over the long weekend.
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St Vincent de Paul Society Canberra-Goulburn chief executive Bob Wilson said dumpers traditionally struck on weekends and public holidays - and the Christmas and New Year season was the worst.
The charity spent $110,000 cleaning up unwanted goods in the Canberra and Goulburn regions last year, with $40,000 spent on tip fees in Canberra alone.
''When people bring things in, we ask for good quality cloths and furniture,'' Mr Wilson said.
''They are offered to people for no charge and anything that is surplus to that is sold. We have to maintain dignity for these people and only offer them things they can use.''
The ACT Government introduced new rules in November, which came into effect on Sunday, exempting charity groups that help keep goods out of landfill from landfill fees.
Announcing the changes, Environment Minister Simon Corbell said landfill fees would be waived for groups that do not receive government funding for diverting goods from landfill.
''To be eligible, organisations will also need official status as a charitable fund, charitable institution, public benevolent institution, health promotion charity, or public benevolent institution employer,'' he said.
''Charitable organisations will also need to operate public drop-off points in the ACT where people can donate items.''
St Vincent de Paul scrapped its charity bins in 2005, disturbed at the amount of unwanted rubbish being dumped in the bins. The bins were regularly attracting dead animals, used syringes, bags of soiled nappies and rubbish.
Mr Wilson said the problem had become an untenable occupational health and safety issue for staff, with growing fears volunteers could be exposed to needle stick injuries.
Despite the Government acting to ease the fees burden on charities, Mr Wilson said he expected the organisation would continue to be forced to pay for the transportation of unwanted, stained and broken goods dumped outside its stores to landfill.
''We only have two trucks that serve the ACT and they're not completely devoted to picking up rubbish.''
Late last week, Canberra woman ''Sylvia'' became so incensed at the mess and waste created by illegal dumping at charity bins across the territory she launched a website called thisisnotcharity.net
''On the afternoon of 27 December 2011, I went to the Southlands [Mawson] charity bins to donate clothes,'' she said on the website.
''The mess I found was astonishing. I had a camera, and took pics. That same afternoon I drove around Canberra in search of other charity bins and stores, where so-called charity items had been illegally dumped... Old fridges, mattresses, chairs, lounges, broken guitars, a mouldy child car-seat, household kitchen garbage, broken chairs, old TVs, and the list goes on.
''The question needs to be raised. Why is it that the residents of Canberra think it's okay to do this?''
She encouraged people who witness unsuitable goods being dumped outside charity stores to contact Territory and Municipal Services on 132281.
