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illegal donation bins popping up everywhere - Page 2 — Brooklynian

illegal donation bins popping up everywhere

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Comments

  • whynot_31
    whynot_31
    "Unlike Goodwill and the other traditional charities involved in collection, none of the clothing gathered by USAgain, Planet Aid and other for-profit operators goes to help needy people in the localities where the boxes are placed."

  • Dawndew
    Dawndew
    Great research. Now, how do we get the city and new Mayor motivated to do something in Brooklyn about this rat.  When the weather gets warmer we could use a caulking gun to seal the doors shut.
  • whynot_31
    whynot_31
    edited March 2014
    Ah, but if someone trekked their bag of clothing to the bin only to find it inoperable, they would likely just leave the bag next to the bin.

    This would be unsightly.

    Presumably, people are annoyed by these bins in part because they are unsightly, and in part because they are misleading.


  • mugofmead111
    mugofmead111
    One might want to encourage people to bring their unwanted garments to a Greenmarket on a day when they are doing textile collection. (At Grand Army Plaza, for example, that's on a Saturday.) 

    A tenant might also want to convince a building owner to host a re-fashioNYC bin instead.
  • whynot_31
    whynot_31
    Signs advertising the location of more "reputable" places that collect used items could be affixed to the Viltex bins, but I think their existence would overcome such signs

    ....the "disreputable" bins are more convenient than the "reputable" drop off locations.

    The for profits are beating the non profits at their game.

  • eastbloc
    eastbloc
    I wonder if appropriating one of these bins would be viewed as theft.  I could see repurposing them as a secure storage container, especially with the help of a welder and a torch, both of which I have.
  • mugofmead111
    mugofmead111
    Who would care enough to report a "repurposing" as theft? ;)

    /devilsadvocate
  • whynot_31
    whynot_31
    edited April 2014
    I took a look at the one at St. Johns and Washington last night, while walking my dog.

    It has been tagged with the orange sticker, so Viltex needs to move it somewhere before the Dept of Sanitation truck arrives.

    The bins are designed to be moved with a folk lift type thing, so one might be able to easily move them with a pallet jack.

    ...might be easier than lubing up the sidewalk with soap and water.

    ....Might be rentable at a local tool rental place.

    pj

    There are a bunch of tool rental places nearby.

    https://www.google.com/webhp?tab=iw&ei=ZDoWU_2SJYWl0QHO24GwAQ&ved=0CAUQqS4oAg#q=tool+rental+brooklyn
  • Dawndew
    Dawndew
    the non profits don't have the resourses to see it as a game.  These fork lifts are VERY heavy and need a truck. But what a great idea.
  • whynot_31
    whynot_31
    Yes, a long time ago I worked at a warehouse and used pallet jacks to move appliances around. The jacks weigh about 75 lbs, but any idiot can use them safely.

    Locally, supermarkets use them and might be willing to lend them. I suspect that NSA (on Washington), and Compare each have one.

  • whynot_31
    whynot_31
    edited March 2014
    The one at St Johns and Washington remains there, with the orange tag.

    Sanitation tagged it on Feb 28

    C'mon flatbed sanitation truck....
  • dac545
    dac545
    The one under the shuttle tracks at Prospect Place finally got marked today!  There are so many others though.. they seem to be reproducing. 
  • tateinbk
    tateinbk
    There is at least one by the car wash/gas station on Lincoln near Bedford.  
  • whynot_31
    whynot_31
    edited March 2014
    "There are so many others though.. they seem to be reproducing."

    They are like Tribbles!

  • whynot_31
    whynot_31
    Today, my dog and I had the opportunity to have a good, long walk around western CH. I counted at least 10 bins, each of which had an orange sticker, or grease pen markings from a DOS employee.

    So, lets give this a few more weeks and see what happens next.

    I congratulate readers on their thorough reporting to the city.
  • ribbons
    ribbons
    The one by the mural on St Johns and Washington was gone this am when I walked past. Yay.
  • naturegirlbk
    naturegirlbk
    So is the one at St Johns & Classon. Double Yay!! :-)
  • whynot_31
    whynot_31
    Good bye to you...

  • whynot_31
    whynot_31
    edited April 2014
    Press:
    image
    The Sanitation Department has hauled away almost 60 bins in just nine months.

    If DNA wrote their story based on this thread, a cite would have been nice.
  • whynot_31
    whynot_31
    edited March 2014
    At my request, article now cites Brooklynian as source.
  • Dawndew
    Dawndew
    yeah right! We have started something here.
  • mugofmead111
    mugofmead111
    I noticed one with an orange sticker on Prospect Place off of Franklin while I was riding the B48 home tonight. It was laying on its back.

    A fence has gone up around the rear part of the laundromat property on Empire Boulevard and McKeever Place. I hope the bin that is there (and the one that is on the property of the future TD Bank down the street) are the next to go.
  • whynot_31
    whynot_31
    edited April 2014
    I suspect that one person, using an inexpensive and light weight bottle jack, could quickly and easily flip a bin on its back.

    image
  • Dawndew
    Dawndew
    A rope tied to the saddle of my horse will do the same. Super glue in the locks ? They would have to haul it away to remove lock.
  • whynot_31
    whynot_31
    edited April 2014
    When full, does Viltex haul away the bins to its Newark location for emptying, or does it empty the contents into a truck here? 

    Depending upon you and your horse seems problematic. However, you may be the best we have:   I do not think the Prospect Park horses are permitted to be used in this manner.
  • armchair_warrior
    armchair_warrior
    time to scrap metal them.
  • Dawndew
    Dawndew
    Does anyone know if the few bins surrounded by a small fence are legal? I think not. the DOT has to give permits for any construction on the sidewalk such as a fence.
    Most home owners are under the mistaken belief that the area right outside thier house is thier property because the city will fine them for not keeping i clean but in fact it is city land. I am thinking of calling 311 and making a illegal construction complaint about those fences so then the bins can be removed by the sanitation.
  • whynot_31
    whynot_31
    At the moment, the main barrier to removing most of the bins is the shear number of them.

    Instead of going after the high hanging fruit (bins that are protected by fences), it might be time to get the person who drives the Deptartment of Sanitation flat bed truck some help.

    Maybe his co-worker could be temporarily re-assigned from his duties of picking up broken appliances?
  • naturegirlbk
    naturegirlbk
    Omg!!! Just saw that yet another illegal donation bin has just been placed right back in the exact same spot on the corner of St Johns & Classon, where a bin was just removed by sanitation a week ago. This is ridiculous!! What can we do about this, permanently?? Ugh!!! 
  • Dawndew
    Dawndew
    super glue inserted into the key hole might discourage them
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