Clothing bin removals could mean lost jobs, revenue
The withdrawal of 146 clothing donation bins by Inclusion B.C. could result in lost jobs and reduced funds for the 15 community groups that benefit from the organization’s clothing recycling program.
Inclusion B.C. decided to withdraw the bins after a 34-year-old man died in a bin in West Vancouver last Sunday. The bin collected donations to support the Community Living Society, an Inclusion B.C. member organization.
On Friday, Inclusion B.C. executive director Karla Verschoor said most of the 146 bins have already been removed from communities across B.C. The remaining bins will be placed in storage by early next week, although 12 bins will likely remain on private property in Victoria.
While “safety for the entire public” is a top priority for Inclusion B.C., Verschoor admitted the removal of the bins would reduce revenue for the 15 community groups that have bins. She was unable to determine how much money the bins bring in.
The clothing recycling program also provides employment to several people with developmental disabilities.
“There are people who could potentially lose their jobs,” she said.
Verschoor estimated about two or three people per member organization would be affected by the end of the bin program. About 75 per cent of people with development disabilities are unemployed.
“Safety trumps the lost revenue, but this definitely does have an impact,” she said.
Verschoor said the group believed their bins were safe for their intended use, but they’re now working with Technical Safety B.C., as well as a third-party engineer, to make them safer and prevent people from entering them.
In July, a woman died in a bin owned by the Developmental Disabilities Association at the West Point Grey Community Centre. The organization has more than 250 bins in B.C., according to its website.
In an emailed statement, a spokesperson said the association will participate in a task force headed by a UBC Okanagan professor to find a safer bin design.
“Community safety is a top priority,” said the statement. There was no mention of removing bins.
At least two more people have died in other donation bins in Surrey and Pitt Meadows since 2015. The deaths have prompted several municipalities to reconsider allowing them.
After Sunday’s tragedy, West Vancouver ordered all clothing donation bins to be closed and district staff placed metal straps on bins on both public and private property to stop people from using them.
The City of Vancouver started to remove donation bins on public streets last summer, but some have turned up on private land. The city will review the status of remaining bins this year.
Surrey doesn’t allow bins on public property, but there are eight donation bins for the Surrey Fire Fighters Charitable Society at fully staffed firehalls.
Township of Langley bylaw enforcement manager Ruby Senghera said clothing bins aren’t permitted on public roadways, but she couldn’t comment on bins at community centres and firehalls because they fall under a different city department.
The bylaw department will review the rules around bins on private property in light of the recent deaths, she said.
The City of Abbotsford will also be “looking at all options regarding the use of donation bins in our community,” said spokesperson Alex Mitchell. “This information will be brought forward to Abbotsford city council in the near future.”