Brooklyn council seeks to remove clothing dumpsters
Clothing donation bins are becoming ubiquitous on Brooklyn sidewalks but the large metal containers are proving to be a major headache for city officials.
The bins are often so stuffed with clothes dropped off by charitable residents that the shirts, sweaters and scarves spill out onto the sidewalk. The containers are also a magnet for broken bottles and other forms of litter, officials charged.
And making matters worse, it’s not clear if the clothing is really being donated to the poor or is being sold to thrift shops at a profit, Councilmember Vincent Gentile said. “Not only are these bins eyesores, they deceive well-intentioned New Yorkers who believe they’re donating their used clothing to charity,” he said.