Charity shops across the UK are continuing to battle illegal dumping outside their premises, creating extra costs, safety concerns and additional work for volunteers and staff.

93% of charity retailers have experienced fly-tipping outside their shops, according to new research from the Charity Retail Association (CRA).

The CRA surveyed 135 charities representing almost 4,000 shops, stating that retailers reported the problem escalating, citing that there has been a 44% increase.

The scale of the problem has seen many stores across Richmond borough face this issue on a regular basis.

Local shop manager, Magda, of the Princess Alice Hospice store in Richmond, said: "The hotspots for dumping are at charity shops that have parking."

Having previously worked at a Children's Society shop in Ealing, Magda explained that the issue was more severe there.

"That was madness everyday," she added.

She explained that many of the items left outside are unsuitable for resale or are simply dumped as waste, "there are random items like mattresses."

Staff are often left sorting through piles of unsellable donations. Magda continued: "if it's too much, if it's really dirty, we just call the council. It's not our responsibility."

Magda also explained that items left outside shops can quickly create further problems.

She said: "Not even just homeless people, but residents would take items."

The bin bags would be rummaged through, and often become a hazard to pedestrians as they would block the pavement.

This also contributes to creating a negative impact on the shop's appearance.

A charity shop owner from Twickenham, who wishes to remain anonymous, told Nub News: "I once found a dirty nappy in one of the bin bags, some people can be so careless."

The anonymous owner's comments also drew attention to the issues of overconsumption and the strain this has not only just on charity shops but on the environment.

She said: "People think they are helping by leaving bags outside the door.

"We appreciate every donation, but even when donations are offered inside the store, sometimes we have to turn them down because we can't keep up with the amount we already have.

"By dumping it outside, people are contributing to landfill, not actually giving the items a second life."

An estimated 14 billion items of clothing are thrown away by UK adults every year, according to research by Censuswide.

The survey conducted saw that one in five adults reported throwing unworn items in the bin, rather than selling or donating.

Richmond Council is urging residents not to leave donations outside closed charity shops, warning that even well-intentioned donations can quickly lead to larger piles of waste as others add to them or bags are opened and scattered.

Councillor Julia Neden-Watts, Chair of the Environment and Sustainability Committee, said: "The overwhelming majority of residents donate items responsibly and take care of their local spaces.

"People may think they are doing the right thing by leaving bags outside a charity shop, but one bag can quickly become two and encourage other items to be left.

"If a charity shop is closed, please take your donations home and wait until it reopens, or consider using one of the council's reuse and recycling schemes."

The Council is encouraging residents to seek alternative methods of donation including Richmond Freegle and Traid textile banks.

Fly-tipping remains a criminal offence and Richmond Council says they will continue to tackle the issue through enforcement and ask residents to report incidents.

Cllr Neden-Watts added: "Keeping Richmond clean and green remains a major priority, and we will continue working with residents, community groups and enforcement teams to protect our streets and public spaces."

READ MORE: New Tesco store could be coming to Richmond.

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