City Council Gets More Stringent About Those Nasty, Scammy Illegal Clothing Donation Bins


The City Council has passed a bill cracking down on illegal clothing donation bins.

The law – proposed by Councilman Vincent Gentile – penalizes organizations that put drop-off bins on the street with no intention of giving the collected garments to the needy. The bill allows the city to remove the bins immediately, fining first-time violators $250 and repeat offenders $500 (no longer simply to post a notice on the illegal bins, giving the owner 30 days to remove them, as was the DSNY’s previous practice).

The number of drop-off bins recorded across the city has leapt in the last two years, jumping from 97 reported in 2012 to 2,093 this past June, according to The New York Daily News. Not only are the sketchy bins unattractive  garbage magnets (see above) – many of them are actually scams, selling the garments for a profit overseas.

“These bins are illegal, unsafe, and undermine the efforts of the legitimate charities that actually collect clothing for those in need,” Councilman Gentile said in a statement. “This law will impose strict penalties on the shady companies engaging in this illegal practice.”

Clothing bins will also be registered with the city, and owners will be required to report how much they collect.

By Rachel Silberstein