Clothing donation bins around Tauranga and the Western Bay are being used by dumpers to get rid of rubbish instead of their real purpose.

Operated by Save Mart, the bins are placed in areas to collect clothing for charity.

Brookfield Primary School principal Robert Hyndman says the school has issues with people dropping junk by its clothing bin. Photo: Bruce Barnard.

Save Mart manager Steve Griffin says many of the region's bins are being used to dispose of rubbish, with Brookfield Primary School's bin a regular dumping ground for household items.

'Unfortunately it's fairly common. As council put up tip fees, the public dump rubbish more and more where they can.”

He says Save Mart has no choice but to remove the rubbish because they have to maintain their bin sites, which are cleared twice-weekly.

'It's a bin that's there for charity and if that's what they consider a donation to charity then I would hate to see how they live their own lives.

'It's a certain type of person that does it. We have bins at the plaza at Papamoa and on a bad weekend we can pick up a truckload from there and the same from Te Puke,” says Steve.

'Certain areas seem to attract that type of behaviour.”

He says nobody has reported seeing people dumping, the rubbish just appears.

'It's just an unfortunate part of life.”

Brookfield Primary School principal Robert Hyndman says his school has issues with people dropping junk by its clothing bin, which is also a funding source for the school.

'We like having the bin because twice a year they [Save Mart] make a donation to the school. That makes it worthwhile having the bin placed here.”

The school notifies Save Mart when the bin is full or overflowing and it gets cleared.

'I've been here eight-and-a-half years and the bin was here when I arrived,” says Robert, who says the school also has issues with people leaving rubbish by the rubbish skip.

'It's locked but after a weekend we occasionally find things left there. We have no choice other than to dispose of it for them.”

Robert asks people to use the clothing bin for what it's intended for – clothes – and to take away their own rubbish when leaving school grounds.