Representatives from local Goodwill Industries and St. Vincent de Paul organizations appeared before council to speak about their concerns and advise Council that regulation of clothing donation bin usage is needed.

Report CM 26/2016 outlined general options for the regulation and enforcement of clothing donation bins to address these concerns. It advised the clothing donation bin by-laws passed by many of the municipalities surveyed were in response to health and safety, consumer protection and nuisance control purposes. The report stated that between 2005 and 2015, the City received five (5) complaints through 311 regarding litter around donation bins and one (1) complaint regarding a donation bin on private property without the permission of the property owner. It advised these complaints were addressed by By-law Officers under the authority of existing anti-littering by-laws, and that Administration was not aware of any legislation that would authorize private property owners to recoup their expenses for property clean-up from unknown third parties. The report identified the limited number and frequency of complaints regarding clothing donation bins as presenting a low risk in not passing additional by-laws to regulate them, but also noted that the City should continue to monitor issues related to clothing donation bins as they arise in the future.

Council considered a motion to direct Administration to prepare a by-law to regulate donation bins based on the Ottawa model presented in Report 26/2016, which was put and lost. Instead, Report 26/2016 was received by Council for information through CR590/2016.

In March 2020, orders under the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act required donation bin collection operations to cease due to COVID-19 concerns. On March 23, 2020, the majority of operators of clothing donation bins posted notices advising this and most have not been serviced since that date. From March 20 through May 18, 2020, the Public Drop Off located at 3540 North Service Road East also stopped accepting donation or waste materials.

Towards the end of March 2020, complaints regarding clothing donation bins spiked. While one (1) complaint was received by 311 in 2019, twenty six (26) complaints regarding clothing donation bins have been received in 2020 so far.

Discussion:

Clothing donation bins are found on private and public property within the City of Windsor. Most bins within Windsor are operated by The Canadian Diabetes Society, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul and other charitable organizations, although no