Offers of help, free bin end dumping tale
After going public with her ongoing frustration about people dumping unusable items on her doorstep, the operator of a free op shop in New Plymouth has been fielding donations of help from strangers that have restored her faith in human nature.
Robyn Willis runs the free Super Swop Stop from her Clearmont Cres home, and had been contemplating taking out a personal loan to pay for a skip bin so she could clear the rubbish and unusable cast-offs that people dumped, such as mouldy shoes.
Op shop dumping has been a widespread problem across the country, with some linking it to costly tip fees.
It is an issue that had plagued Willis since she first started the shop 11 years ago. However, after going public with her woes, members of the public have offered to help her, which she said had restored her faith in people.
She said she received a message on Facebook from a man who urged her not to get a loan, providing a counter offer that he would provide a skip bin to her free of charge.
Willis said it turned out he was the boss of Waste Management in New Plymouth. Others had also given her cash donations to help the cause.
After the bin, which would normally cost $380 to hire, arrived, Willis’ customers offered to help her with the cleanup. Now full to the brim with the unwanted, soiled items which had cluttered her property, the bin was due to be collected yesterday.
And with the money donated to her, Willis intended to get a gift for her helpers, as a way of paying forward the kindness shown to her. ‘‘I’m so grateful.’’