Ninety per cent of donation bins have been removed from street right-of-ways, according to the City of Vancouver.
The city asked operators to remove their bins by Nov. 30, 2018 due to safety concerns after a 39-year-old woman became trapped and died in one outside West Point Grey Community Centre last July.
Donation bins (Photo by Dan Toulgoet/Vancouver Courier)
Safety concerns were highlighted again Dec. 30 after a 34-year-old man died when he was trapped in a donation bin in West Vancouver. As a result of the incident, West Vancouver has since temporarily sealed all donation bins in that municipality.
In a Jan. 3 "information bulletin," the City of Vancouver indicated that about 90 per cent of the more than 100 donation bins that had been previously located on street right-of-ways have been removed and any remaining ones will be removed in early 2019.
Bin operators have also removed bins at West Point Grey Community Centre, Kensington Community Centre, Vancouver Aquatic Centre, and from inside all park board facilities at the request of the Vancouver Park Board.
The Vancouver School Board has also ordered removal of bins located on school board property. Donation bins on private property will be reviewed in early 2019.
Donation bins continue to be located in supervised areas of the City’s Zero Waste Centre and Landfill Residential Drop-off Area.
“The City recognizes the value used clothing donations provide to those in need and to local charities,” the bulletin states.
Jeremy Hunka, a spokesperson for Union Gospel Mission, told the Courier he wasn't aware bins were being removed from street right-of-ways in Vancouver, but he called the decision a "positive" step.
Hunka maintains all of them should be voluntarily taken out of service until they can be retrofitted so they don't present a safety hazard. He says it's not just a city or Metro Vancouver issue, but a national one where urgent action is needed because it's a case of when not if someone else dies.
He said it's "mindboggling" that it's taken this long for the problem to be addressed, while adding he's not pushing for donation bins to be banned permanently — just taken out of service until "we know they're not going to kill anyone."
Ray Taheri, a professor in the school of engineering at UBC's Okanagan campus, and his students are currently working on ways to retrofit the bins.
Hunka, meanwhile, would like to know how many currently exist on private property in Vancouver and what the upcoming review entails.
In a press release issued late Thursday afternoon, Inclusion BC announced the organization and its member agencies would remove 146 donation bins in Greater Vancouver, the Fraser Valley, the Sunshine Coast, the Interior of B.C. and Central and North Vancouver. The process has already started and all the bins are expected to be gone by early next week. They will be put in storage until safety modifications can be made.
Inclusion BC will accept clothing donations at indoor and monitored collection sites until safety issues are resolved.
"Inclusion BC was deeply saddened to learn of the death of a man in one of our clothing donation bins in West Vancouver. Our deepest condolences go out to all who have been touched by this tragic event," the release states.
"Safety is a top property for Inclusion BC and our member agencies that participate in the ClothesDrop recycling program."
WAYS TO DONATE USED CLOTHING
Drop-off alternatives:
- City of Vancouver Zero Waste Centre, 8588 Yukon St.
Hours of operation: Monday to Saturday: 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Sunday: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.; All other statutory holidays unless otherwise stated: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- City of Vancouver's landfill and recycling depot, 5400 72nd Ave. in Delta
Hours of operation: Monday to Friday: 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday: 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.; All other statutory holidays unless otherwise noted: 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.; closed on Christmas and New Year's Day
Both locations listed above are supervised and accessible to the public only during open hours.
- Zero Waste Drop-off events hosted by the City and held throughout the year to collect used clothing and other materials.
- Donations can also be made by dropping of clothing at thrift and consignment stores, homeless shelters as well as by calling charities that provide home pick-ups.
For a complete list of options of where you can drop off used clothing, search for “clothing” in the VanCollect mobile app or on the City’s Waste Wizard website.
To find an organization that provides free clothing, click on this list and map of clothing providers.
