Moser: Donation Drop Boxes Not as Good as You Think

Opinion 

So, what is a donation drop box?

It’s possible, depending on where you live in Prince William County, you may not have encountered one. Here, in the Neabsco District, we appear to be inordinately blessed by a profusion of such boxes.

These donation boxes are dropped in parking lots, at  malls, at gas stations and in stub outs for unfinished streets. You may have seen the yellow Planet Aid boxes and considered donating. I don’t recommend you do that and neither does the Institute for Philanthropy. Most of the boxes you see parked all over the community have stories similar to the one in the link.

There are three very frustrating factors at work here:

1. When you donate through one of these boxes, it’s possible you are being misled about the benefit.

2. People see them as an opportunity to dump ALL their junk. (See photos)

3. You may be missing a great opportunity to really provide a benefit to a great organization.

If you think you are donating books to children that have none of their own to read, you may be surprised to learn that most of the books donated are not fit to share, but are simply pulped for paper.

Think for a minute! If you are tossing your books into a box that is merely a small painted dumpster, do you suppose they are landing in there neatly stacked? OK. Face facts. That is just not likely. They sit in those metal boxes in high temperatures.

(heat indicies this week reached 107 degrees…how hot was it in that metal box?)

What happens to papers stored in your attic?

If you have good used furniture, Habitat for Humanity, Prince William, Manassas and Manassas Park is a great place to donate. If you call The Restore, they will come pick up your furniture, as well as any usable construction materials.

If you are remodeling and your appliances or fixtures are still in good shape, they’ll be happy to take those items and if possible, use them in their programs. If not needed, those items will be sold and the profit goes back to Habitat.

There are many other great ways and places to donate your used items including ACTS or the Salvation Army in Woodbridge or Manassas. You can even take your items to the Donation Place at the Prince William County Landfill

One last thing: Prince William County has numerous ordinances regarding these drop boxes. It’s been a long time coming, but enforcement appears to be on the horizon. These boxes are required to be permitted. No box can be placed within 500 feet of another box. Boxes that contain clothing have to be sanitized regularly. 

You can view the regulations at this location and here and view the permit form.

If you see these eyesores, please call Neighborhood Services at 703-792-7018 and be ready to give them the exact location of the donation drop box you are reporting. You can also report via email and add photos.