by VDC staff
Berlin police are warning that people illegally dumping household garbage, sharp objects and materials contaminated with bodily fluids into clothing donation bins at the Berlin Mall are putting workers at risk and could face criminal charges.
The bins, located at 282 Berlin Mall Road in the Walmart parking lot, are intended for clothing and shoes only. However, police say people have been using them to dispose of household trash, broken dishes, knives and other hazardous materials.
“These items create serious safety hazards for employees who collect and sort donations,” the Berlin Police Department said in a public notice issued by Sgt. Chad Bassette. “Nobody should risk injury or exposure to bodily fluids simply for doing their job.”
The bins are operated by Apparel Impact, a family- and veteran-owned New Hampshire company that collects clothing and shoes for reuse and recycling. The company works to reduce landfill waste while supporting veterans, families and communities in need.
Police say illegal dumping also creates significant expenses for the company. A small bag of household garbage that might cost $4 to $5 to dispose of locally can cost Apparel Impact $15 to $20 by the time employees collect, transport, handle and dispose of it.
Those costs divert money and resources from the company’s charitable and recycling operations.
Apparel Impact plans to examine illegally dumped garbage for identifying information and report incidents to law enforcement, police said.
People caught dumping garbage may face charges under Vermont’s littering laws or other applicable statutes.
Berlin Mall management may also issue formal notices of trespass to individuals identified as dumping garbage into or around the bins. Those notices would prohibit the individuals from returning to the property. Violating a lawful trespass notice could result in additional criminal charges.
“A clothing donation bin is not a free garbage disposal service!” the police notice states.
Police are asking residents to place only clean clothing and shoes in the bins and dispose of household garbage and hazardous materials through appropriate waste disposal services.
More information about the company is available at www.apparelimpact.com.