Charity Shops Count the Cost of Fly-Tipping Across the Channel Islands

Charity shop managers in the Channel Islands say fly-tipping and unsuitable donations are placing growing pressure on their finances and volunteers.

Rob Jones, chief executive of Les Bourgs Hospice in Guernsey, said the charity spends around £1,000 each month on tip fees and staff time to deal with items that cannot be sold. He described the problem as a “real challenge” for organisations reliant on public donations.

In Jersey, children’s charity CRY said goods were left outside its shop doors “most weeks”, sometimes even during opening hours. The Salvation Army reported similar issues, with its clothing banks frequently used as dumping grounds for inappropriate waste.

Mr Jones said Les Bourgs Hospice had seen a rise in fly-tipping after the introduction of pay-as-you-throw waste charges in 2019, although incidents have declined more recently. Despite generally receiving high-quality donations, he said many items left at the shop were “clearly not sellable” and had to be disposed of at the charity’s expense.

“It’s costing us about £1,000 a month just for the shop,” he said. “That includes disposal costs and staff time spent sorting items that go straight to the tip. That money could be better used raising funds.”

Les Bourgs Hospice receives no direct funding from the States of Guernsey, with shop sales accounting for about a quarter of its income. Mr Jones said suitable donations directly support frontline services.

“If it’s something we can resell, you’re effectively funding palliative care on the island,” he said.

CRY Jersey general manager Elk Hargreaves said fly-tipping outside the charity’s St Helier shop often left volunteers struggling to manage blocked entrances and damaged goods. Items left outdoors, particularly in wet weather, frequently became unusable and had to be sent for textile recycling instead.

She urged donors to leave goods only in designated areas or during opening hours, adding that volunteers had sometimes been forced to return outside normal hours to clear dumped items obstructing access to nearby flats.

The Salvation Army in Jersey recently appealed to the public via social media after repeated incidents of fly-tipping at its 60 donation banks. Co-leader Richard Nunn said items left included electrical appliances, rubble and even broken glass.

“We’re really grateful for the support we receive,” he said. “But we’d ask people to be thoughtful about what they leave and where they leave it.”

Government figures show there were 185 reports of fly-tipping in Jersey in 2025, with around half linked to recycling or donation bins. The Infrastructure and Environment department advised donors to contact charities directly or return at a later time if bins were full.

The States of Guernsey was approached for comment.