illegal donation bins popping up everywhere

goldemi1

i like it.  bin-tipping will be the urban version of cow-tipping. 

jeffrey

How much might one of these bins fetch at a scrap metal yard?

Asking for a hypothetical friend.

whynot_31

The bins are made of steel, which is only worth $0.06 - $0.12 a pound.

I'd estimate an empty bin to be about 500 lbs., so you'd get about $30 (500 x $0.06) at one of the local scrap yards.

This is based on an assumption that local scrap yards (such as the one by the Gowanus Lowe's) pay similar prices to this place: http://rockawayrecycling.com/scrap-metal-pictures/scrap-metal-prices/

My hope is that Sanitation sells them for scrap (as opposed to selling them to someone who just puts them back out on the street).

As a result, I suspect Sanitation spends far more money retrieving bins than it gets back.

whynot_31

BTW, in conjunction with Housing Works, the city has a clothing bin program:

http://www.nyc.gov/html/nycwasteless/html/stuff/clothing.shtml

However, it has big drawback in terms of convenience:  The bins sit inside a building.    Space is valuable and people who don't live in the building have no access to it.

The program does, however, potentially reduce the number of bins entities like Viltex find profitable to place around. 

BTW, can I get readers to post the locations of bins that have already been tagged by Sanitation, and are awaiting removal?   

Dawndew

there is a bin on Prospect place and nostrand that had its Sanitation tag and crayon numbers covered by a poster so there it still sits 2 months later.

jeffrey

More from the NYT...

With a ‘Charitable Veneer,’ Littering the Streets With Collection Bins
By DAVID GONZALEZ
JULY 6, 2014
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/07/nyregion/with-a-charitable-veneer-seeking-donations-and-then-profits.html

"Summonses are not issued, a department spokeswoman explained, based on the theory that those distributing the bins have factored any fines into the cost of doing business."

*facepalm

whynot_31

"Once found by Sanitation Department enforcement officers or reported by residents to the city’s 311 help line, an illegal bin is tagged and the owner has 30 days to remove it."

So, here is the order of events:
1. Bin is placed.

2. Someone complains about bin.

3. Sanitation tags the bin.

4. Over the course of the next 30 days, the tag may be removed by the company, or the bin moved.

5. If the bin remains, Sanitation can remove it. However, Sanitation doesn't know that it is still there.

Seems tedious.

goldemi1

Seems like its up to the citizens to make this business model 'tedious' for the shady companies that drop them.

capt. planet

Article about these bins appears in today's NY Times.

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/07/nyregion/with-a-charitable-veneer-seeking-donations-and-then-profits.html?ref=nyregion

whynot_31

Jeffery is quicker than you, Capt.

xlizellx

On Jezebel today:

http://jezebel.com/that-clothing-donation-bin-down-the-block-may-not-be-wh-1601340016/all

jeffrey

14th Street Donation Bin Goes Up In Flames (Again)

http://southslopenews.com/blog/crime/14th-street-donation-bin-goes-up-in-flames-again

whynot_31

Not my style.

jeffrey

Yep.  A terrible and dumb response.

Punishes us all (occupying FDNY resources) instead of just the companies doing this.

whynot_31

I would like readers help in getting the locations of nearby bins. I need the location of at least 8 already-tagged bins, for a -um- project.

PM me or post locations on this thread. Thanks.

Dawndew

I saw a bin on Atlantic between the Armory at Bedford and the adjoining auto repair shop that has a sticker partly pulled off. This plus the one I mentioned before at Nostrand and Prospct gives you 2 for your list, whynot. 

goldemi1

whynot_31

1.   Atlantic between the Armory and Bedford.

2.   Prospect Place, under the shuttle tracks

3.   Nostrand and Prospect

4.   Franklin Ave, near Montgomery

mugofmead111

How can you tell where the property line is? I was thinking about walking into TD Bank and ask whether the employees know where its property line is. 

whynot_31

For now, just worry about the bins that are already tagged.

But a quick and dirty way determine the property line is to look at the fence line in either direction.   Sidewalk cafes, trash cans, etc. all are supposed to be within the line.         

Dawndew

Seriously, the fence is not often the property line. The city often owns right up to the first step of house and even has right to remove a stoop if they want to widen street. So the fence is just an allowed curtesy of the city. I have seen this to be true on my own properties and confirmed it with HPD. In one case the fence is over a 100 years old yet sits four feet on city property!  Every property is unique to the survey. The city won't inforce  a missplaced fence until it is reported or becomes issue.

Cafes have to keep 8 feet  of sidewalk from curb clear.

southeast

As a rule of thumb, the city has 15 feet from the curb.  As @Dawndew noted, quite often, stoops and fences are on city property, particularly on residential streets.

whynot_31

I agree.

And this lack of clarity is yet another obstacle which makes it difficult for the city to tag and remove the bins.

If they were placed on the street, Sanitation's work would be much easier.

Dawndew

However, we cannot just put anything infront of our houses even if it is within your property line. These faux charity bins are in fact a commercial enterprise and perhaps not allowed on a residential front yard or sidewalk.

whynot_31

I would be happy if the city merely took action against the ones that have been tagged, yet remain in place for more than 30 days.

The NYT article also referenced fines being possible, yet not issued. I assume that the fines could only be issued after 30 days as well.

Dawndew

Whynot, Did you see the bin on St mark's at Rogers with tickets?

whynot_31

That is now number 5.

3 more to go.

whynot_31

6. On St Marks, near Bedford.

The effort now has enough momentum that a State AM is making statements about how he wants a change to laws at either the state or city level. In other words, disliking these bins is a calculated win:

http://pix11.com/2014/07/11/assemblyman-pushes-to-rid-nyc-streets-of-illegal-clothing-bins/

rmaniac

yup, tateinkbk i agree, there are other sections of brooklyn below prospect park..... intresting LOL

franklin
and fulton are no way near me.   Besides it would be difficult to carry
a huge load on train, try carring up the stairs.

For now I only
go to salvation army thrift shop by nostrand when I rent a car, which is
at least once a year. - See more at:
http://www.brooklynian.com/discussion/39171/illegal-donation-bins-popping-up-everywhere#Item_98

 

southeast

Saw a pink one on Carroll near Troy today.