Dropping off your used mattresses or broken furniture at a donation center can cost them money.
General Manager of St. Vincent De Paul Stores of Milwaukee, Donna Wallace, explained it might be free for a Milwaukee resident to take it to the dump, but businesses in the city have to pay.
The charity forked over almost $30,000 this past fiscal year (Oct. 1, 2017 — Sept. 30, 2018) to Waste Management to dispose of garbage from its two thrift stores in southeast Wisconsin.
“Our standards are gently used items. We try to recycle or sell everything we can to keep it out of the landfill, but some people donate broken junk,” said Wallace.
That includes used mattresses and box springs, broken, ripped or stained furniture, kitchen cabinets, or any broken household item. Anything that can’t be recycled or sold, St. Vincent de Paul foots the bill to get rid of.
Wallace said they pay vendors to dispose of broken electronics as well and she said all of that money could have gone back to the community.
St. Vincent De Paul runs meal programs and provides brand new beds for families in need.
If the $30,000 garbage bill is cut in half, Wallace said that would help tremendously.
“That would be about 6,000 more people we could feed each year or about 1,500 more beds we could have given away last year,” said Wallace.
Treating a donation drop off center like a dump can cost you. The fine for illegal dumping in the city of Milwaukee is up to $5,000.
To properly and safely dispose of your unwanted items in the city of Milwaukee, here are some helpful links:
