Charity wants city to charge for-profit donation bin companies

An Ottawa charity says the city should consider collecting fees from for-profit companies who set up clothing donation bins, and that some of that money should go to local charities.

Steps have already been taken to make the bins, set up by various companies and charities, more identifiable.

A new bylaw takes effect today requiring all organizations to put large signs on their boxes with their name and a working phone number, allowing potential donors to call and promptly find out where the clothing goes and what is done with the profits.

As well, if the companies claim to be charities, they're required to put their Revenue Canada-issued charity number on the signage.

Charity claims for-profit bins taking bite out of donations

Ottawa Neighbourhood Services says for-profit companies are taking badly needed donations out of the city.

During the past three years, donations at the 56 neighbourhood services boxes in Ottawa have fallen between 40 and 50 per cent, said neighbourhood services president Patricia Lemieux.

She's been tracking clothing donation boxes in Ottawa for more than a year.

In Parkwood Hills she found one painted the same shade of blue as her charity's boxes.

"Certainly everyone has the right to make up their mind where they want to donate to or who they want to donate to, but look at it carefully because it doesn't really signify what or where your items are going to," she said. "And if you have really good things and indeed you want to help someone in the community, it's hard to say where it's really going to end up because you don't know."

Councillor not ruling out that possibility

To help with the donation shortfall Lemieux attributes to the rise in donation bins, Lemieux said a fee from for-profit companies would help.

"If they have to pay for every box that they put out ... a certain percentage could be labelled and put forward to the legitimate charities to give them a helping hand, when we are the ones that are helping in the city," she said.

Kanata Coun. Allan Hubley, who led the push for the new bylaw, said he's not ruling out that possibility.

"If that's what the residents of the city want and that's what the industry is telling us they need … then we will definitely look at that," Hubley said. "I'm open to all possibilities here.

"My main concern is that I want people that want to donate to these boxes to be able to make an informed decision," he said.

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