Clothing bin

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Smith Family clothing bins at the Duffy shopping centre in Canberra, Australia. Smith Family clothing bin.jpg
Smith Family clothing bins at the Duffy shopping centre in Canberra, Australia.

A clothing bin is a container in which clothing is placed to be donated to charity organizations (e.g., the Salvation Army or The Smith Family) or for recycling in other ways. They can be provided by local authorities or the charities themselves but sometimes only bear the name of a charity through a licensing or revenue sharing agreement. [1] The majority of clothing bins in Chicago, for instance, are for-profit. [2] In 2015, a collection company in Yonkers was fined $700,000 for not disclosing the for-profit nature of their bin. [3]

Contents

Bins are often vandalised or filled with unsuitable materials (including rubbish). These are costly for the organizations concerned to dispose of, and this misuse has at times led to bins being withdrawn. [4] On-the-spot fines are often threatened through signs on the bins. In 2022, authorities in Sydney, Australia reported that they had so far collected $70,750 in fines from a single bin in Bondi Beach. [5] A woman in Stourport, United Kingdom was fined £400 for leaving bags outside a bin which did not have a warning sign but had her fine changed to a caution after she appealed. [6]

Homeless people have been known to climb into donation bins for shelter or to retrieve items but the most common bin design makes this dangerous. [7] [8] [9] Eight such deaths were recorded in Canada between 2015 and 2019 and "easily a dozen" occurred in the United States over the preceding decade. [10] [11]

See also

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References

  1. ↑ "Clothing donation bins - donor beware". Michigan Attorney General. Retrieved 2023-10-08.
  2. ↑ Kim, Katie; Capitanini, Lisa (2019-11-26). "Donation bins: For charity or for profit?". NBC. Retrieved 2023-10-08.
  3. ↑ Gajanan, Mahita (2015-11-02). "New York company fined over fake clothing donation bin". The Guardian. Retrieved 2023-10-08.
  4. ↑ "Clothing, furniture and household goods" (PDF). Zero Waste SA. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2005-12-19. Retrieved 2023-10-08.
  5. ↑ Meakins, Tara (2022-07-29). "Sydney mum fined $250 for leaving clothes outside Vinnies charity bin". Yahoo News. Retrieved 2022-10-08.
  6. ↑ Stokes, Bradley (2022-02-04). "Kind-hearted grandmother who left donations at charity bin fined £400 for 'flytipping'". The Independent. Retrieved 2023-10-08.
  7. ↑ Aratani, Lauren (2019-01-10). "Canadian woman becomes eighth person to die in charity bin since 2015". The Guardian. Retrieved 2023-10-08.
  8. ↑ Shapiro, Emily (2020-02-03). "Man dies after getting trapped in donation bin: Police". ABC News. Retrieved 2023-10-08.
  9. ↑ "Charity bin deaths: Man found dead inside Perth clothing donation bin". Perth Now. 2022-01-31. Retrieved 2023-10-08.
  10. ↑ Dunham, Jackie (2019-01-08). "Donation bin deaths: How to prevent more tragedies". CTV News. Retrieved 2023-10-08.
  11. ↑ Villalon, Debora (2018-12-03). "Homeless woman, 30, dies while searching for clothes in Petaluma donation bin". KTVU. Retrieved 2023-10-08.


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