One of the persistent problems in the centre of Bath is rubbish in our streets. This derives from many activities smoking, casual littering, uncollected or badly collected trade and household rubbish and rubbish put out for collection on the wrong day. However, I want to focus on another persistent source of mess and that is “donations” for Charity Shops left outside when the shop is closed. This stuff is unsightly in the form in which it is left but it usually ends up being picked over and scattered by passing vagrants and late night revellers. Most of the charity shops ask people not to leave stuff outside their premises and much of what is left in this way is of very poor quality and little value.
The suspicion must be that those doing this know that the shops would probably not want they are leaving and therefore do not bring it to the shop when it is open or call the shop to collect. It seems that dropping it outside a charity shop is often just more convenient than taking it to the dump.