You are currently viewing our boards as a guest which gives you limited access to view most discussions and access our other features. By joining our free community you will have access to post topics, communicate privately with other members (PM), respond to polls, upload content and access many other special features. Registration is fast, simple and absolutely free so please, join our community today!
The banners on the left side and below do not show for registered users!
If you have any problems with the registration process or your account login, please contact contact us.
Vancouver Off-Topic / Current EventsThe off-topic forum for Vancouver, funnies, non-auto centered discussions, WORK SAFE. While the rules are more relaxed here, there are still rules. Please refer to sticky thread in this forum.
So, it looks like those clothing bins that are around may not be so charitable, after all. Not sure how bad it is here, but CBC reports that it's quite a lucrative business in Ottawa:
My old clothes usually go to the Salvation Army. I've seen bins around the city, but i never scrutinized who's they were.
Spoiler!
The business of collecting donated clothes, selling them in local thrift stores and shipping them overseas has become so lucrative it has created a cut-throat turf war in Ontario.
One man in the industry said competition for routes in the past two to three years has become "violent."
"People are getting beat up because these things work as a territory.… We have orders from the company, like don’t let competition around you," said the man, who spoke to CBC News on condition he not be identified.
He said the violence has escalated since people have found out there’s lots of money involved. "And now they are fighting with each other.… people got beat up, the bins were stolen, the bins were burned out."
In 2010, Canadian exports of worn clothes were valued at $174 million. Ontario's share of that market is over $132 million. Most of the clothes went to African countries, India and Pakistan.
P.O.V.
Where do you take your used clothing to donate? Take our survey.
Lindsey Huculiak of Toronto was outraged when she learned that clothes she was putting in a charity bin in Mississauga where she works were likely helping to fund a very profitable private business.
"This bin is here and it's leading me to believe that it is part of a charitable organization. It almost even says so on it. So when I find out that it doesn't go to charity, I’m just flabbergasted that this can happen in my community."
Truckers paid by the pound for used clothes
Lindsay Huculiak, Toronto, feels the sign on the bin she was donating to was misleading. She suggests people research the charity names on bins to ensure the clothes are going to people in need. Lindsay Huculiak, Toronto, feels the sign on the bin she was donating to was misleading. She suggests people research the charity names on bins to ensure the clothes are going to people in need. (Marc Baby, CBC)
Independent drivers are paid by collection companies to pick up the donations. The collection companies pay the drivers by the pound and in turn sell the clothes at a profit to bulk buyers, who then often resell it to for-profit thrift stores and buyers in the Third World.
Charities do get some of the money but it is often a flat fee. CBC found the name of one legitimate charity run by the Ontario Provincial Police on a bin, but the OPP said it was no longer associated with the bins.
Some signs suggest the charity is getting all the money, but when the CBC called the charity named on such a bin, the charity couldn’t verify this.
Other bins don't actually name a charity — but imply a connection by saying "in support of local charities."
Bins should specify which charity will be benefiting from the donation. Bins should specify which charity will be benefiting from the donation. (Marc Baby, CBC)
A recent court case gave the public a close-up view of some of the money being made from used clothes collected from parking lot or roadside bins.
A man who owns one of the bin companies said in court that one of his route supervisors made $12,000 a week, while a driver can make $12,000 a month.
The man who spoke to the CBC anonymously said that a driver can make "maybe $200,000 a year."
The court case was about one competitor in the business accusing another man of pointing a gun at him. Though the man was acquitted, the ensuing trial forced one of the largest companies in the bin collection business to open its books.
The judge in the case expressed surprise at the "very small portion of the revenue generated from the business being given to certain charities" while the business "produced extraordinary revenue and income for those involved."
Registered charities still need donations
A spokesman for the Salvation Army, which collects the clothes from its own bins and returns all the profit to the Salvation Army, says their bins are a "lifeline for the donations that people provide our thrift stores."
Pastor Dave Kennedy, of Orangeville,Ont., says the used clothes that go to the Salvation Army provide a significant source of good value. Pastor Dave Kennedy, of Orangeville,Ont., says the used clothes that go to the Salvation Army provide a significant source of good value. (Marc Baby, CBC)
Pastor Dave Kennedy said he has seen a decline in donations in recent months in Orangeville.
"There's only so many bags of clothes that a community of our size is going to generate in a given week."
Kennedy was surprised when he learned of the tens of millions of dollars being made in Canada in the used-clothing business.
"I'm staggered. Never, never considered that there’d be that kind of money involved in the surplus recycling of clothing. It's amazing."
How used clothing is sold in the United Kingdom
More than 9,000 charity shops in the U.K. sell used clothing. The shops on every high street are thriving, with profits up 12 per cent in 2010. The total profit from charity shops in the U.K. in 2010 was £153.1 million, with Oxfam recording the highest individual profit of £26.9 million. It has been reported that the Canadian government is looking at the U.K. model for allowing charities to expand how they can make money to do their good works.
The private businesses have had another effect on charities like the Salvation Army, Kennedy said. His thrift store spends a significant amount of money – anywhere from $12,000 to $14,000 a year – in dumping fees to dispose of unacceptable goods, some of which come from the for-profit drivers, he said.
"They will accumulate garbage on their truck that they don't want to take back to their depot, and they have made a habit of coming in and dropping it off here."
Charity Intelligence will help locate charities if they are only identified by their nine-digit charitable registration number on a bin. Charities are also listed on the Canada Revenue Agency website.
Bri Trypuc, head of donor services of Charity Intelligence in Toronto, said that even when you find that the name on a bin is that of a legal charity, you should still call the organization to find out what they need and what clothing they will accept. Used clothing is put to good use by such charities as the Salvation Army and Goodwill. Used clothing is put to good use by such charities as the Salvation Army and Goodwill. (Marc Baby, CBC)
"When you give direct to an organization, chances are that organization will use the donation for good, on front-line programs, and for their clients as opposed to being shipped overseas and sold for a business benefit."
Toronto's Hospital for Sick Children just announced it will be lending its name to new clothing bins. The vice-president of the SickKids Foundation, Adrian Horwood, said the bins will be clearly marked as being operated by a private company, DYN Exports Inc., and that 41 per cent of the proceeds will go to SickKids.
Kennedy said that despite the bin wars, he is thankful that people are very generous.
"There are a lot of good things that are happening in our community and communities like ours because people donate used clothing."
I hope BC is not as bad ... I usually threw my used clothings in the bin at Richmond Superstore ... and I have seen it got overflow quite often ...
also the bin in front of Yoham Centre as well, I walked by it one time bitching about how people just dropped their bags of clothing by the bin instead of in the bin, I picked it up, opened the drawer just to recognize the bin was completely full ...
__________________
Q: What do you like most in a woman?
A: My dick
Quote:
Originally Posted by JL9000
this is the internet and everyone knows better about what happened sitting behind a desk than the people who are actually involved.
i've seem hobos climb and flip over salvation army clothing bins, salvaging good items. And i'm pretty sure it's not to wear, but rather to sell for drug money. Every year the homeless get xmas gifts such as clothing donated to them and it's like xmas to them because they sell it and buy drugs.
and this is in richmond too where we don't even have many hobos. I can't even imagine how bad the problem is elsewhere..
I only answer to my username, my real name is Irrelevant!
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: CELICAland
Posts: 25,652
Thanked 10,382 Times in 3,908 Posts
what the homeless do with the clothing is an entirely different issue though, but don't expect them to be able to pawn off old used clothing for drugs... they do try to trade/sell new, stolen, clothing though
^true, at least u expect the homeless to do it, whereas a charitable company doing it is def a few notches up on the fucked up meter. I remember that awesome vancouver documentary on the homeless where that white dude lives like a hobo for some time. In that one i learned that during xmas they get clothing which they sell off for drug money - interviews with real hobos admitting it. That's what i referred to, i'm not sure how they actually sell it - perhaps the chain is:
-i donate my shitty shirt from the 90's to a clothing bin
-hobo jacks it
-it ends up at a thrift store
-a hipster pays $50 for it
yeah its crazy. I saw the report on TV and was shocked that the drivers can get paid $4000 a week just picking the contents of the bins up. All my donations are going straight to the store now.
OT kinda: I recently moved and did multiple HUGE hauls of a lot of stuff, books, clothes, purses, toys, kitchen stuff, knick knacks, electronics etc to my local Value Village, straight to their door.
OT kinda: I recently moved and did multiple HUGE hauls of a lot of stuff, books, clothes, purses, toys, kitchen stuff, knick knacks, electronics etc to my local Value Village, straight to their door.
OT kinda: I recently moved and did multiple HUGE hauls of a lot of stuff, books, clothes, purses, toys, kitchen stuff, knick knacks, electronics etc to my local Value Village, straight to their door.
Big Brothers calls my house regularly to ask for used clothing to donate... but now i'm kinda skeptical about these calls... im never home to see who picks them up, might not even be BigBrothers for all i know
I throw my clothes in donation bins all the time. In truth, I don't care what happens to them.
Putting them in these bins just makes me feel good about myself rather than throwing them in the trash. Plus, I am way too lazy to even try selling my pants with holes in the ass crack.
I did a project for the Developmental Disabilities Association once, trying to figure out how they could leverage their existing clothing-collection logistics chain into something like bottle collections.
They have drivers on their payroll to go out and collect clothes. They hire people with developmental disabilities to do busywork (productive, but relatively boring/dull) so that these people can be gainfully employed. The clothing is brought in, sorted, dried, stored, and sold to Value Village and other companies of a similar ilk on a per-pound basis. They typically have to store clothes because VV will only accept a certain amount at a time, and the clothes have to be basically held on to 'til the time is done.
So yes, technically the stuff given to DD does get sold and then resold, but it's the process that's charitable. Also, all revenue from the VV income goes to the charity's general revenue, so it all works out in the end.
^the only gripe I have with the Developmental Disabilities Association (DDA) is that their office/managerial staff get paid way too much.
I have no problem with their support staff (staff that take care of the adults with a developmental disability) who make about $25/h to start because their job is really difficult at times.
I'm referring to people in their office/management that make $50/hour. Obviously, their wage comes out of the DDA earnings.
But, overall the DDA is a pretty good organization in my opinon. I did work for them for a couple years.
I stopped using these things when I realized that there is no info on where the items are going.. I assumed someone was probably just taking the donations and turning a profit. Since they aren't telling you anything, they aren't really lying... Turns out I was right.
While I would like my old clothes I donate to go to a good cause, the reality is that once I drop them off I really don't care what happens to them. It's better than throwing them in the trash.
not in my experience, been to Richmond location a few time, workers barely lift a finger to help, "glasswares go there, books go there ..." then walked away, I could feel the "dun mess up the place .." on its way ...
__________________
Q: What do you like most in a woman?
A: My dick
Quote:
Originally Posted by JL9000
this is the internet and everyone knows better about what happened sitting behind a desk than the people who are actually involved.
Big Brothers and Salvation Army started off with great intentions, but over the years, the personelles working there found the so-called "loop-holes" and siphons out money into their own pockets.
I was talking to a good buddy one time, he worked at Salvation Army not too long ago, and witnessed his supervisor on shift making false transations and forging papers. With that said, I am sure these big name corporations are still helping the needy, but it's just that there are vermins within their company that is hustlin' dirty money.
My mother went in to Salvation Army for a donation during the month of December, but the manager at the store appeared to be really shady. Mom ended up walking out of that store and went to another one instead.
Originally posted by v.b. can we stop, my pussy hurts... Originally posted by asian_XL fliptuner, I am gonna grab ur dick and pee in your face, then rub shit all over my face...:lol Originally posted by Fei-Ji haha i can taste the cum in my mouth Originally posted by FastAnna when I was 13 I wanted to be a video hoe so bad
The best bet is to take it straight to the shelters and in kelowna, the gospel mission (one of the main shelters). Or Salvation Army.
Big Brothers has a huge handle on used clothes in BC (kelowna anyway) but Im fairly certain they are just a money factory now too. I see them closing buildings and cutting back services, yet they have increased the collection to my building without any one calling to once every 3 weeks. They are pulling in a ton of stuff so the money is being made somwhere and not spent where it should.
You are currently viewing our boards as a guest which gives you limited access to view most discussions and access our other features. By joining our free community you will have access to post topics, communicate privately with other members (PM), respond to polls, upload content and access many other special features. Registration is fast, simple and absolutely free so please, join our community today!
The banners on the left side and below do not show for registered users!
. Mom ended up walking out of that store and went to another one instead.
