comprehensive list currently exists. Clothing donation bins create financial and environmental benefits for a variety of businesses, including charitable organizations, by collecting clothing and household goods for resale and by diverting useable goods and materials from landfills. While providing these positive services, issues with clothing donation bins remain, particularly blight and illegal dumping, timing of access, lack of security and safety.

The recent increase in reported complaints about clothing donation bins correlates with new and increased pressures associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. While spring is often a time when many people undertake cleaning and home projects, residents staying home to comply with emergency orders have more opportunity to do so and fewer opportunities to undertake other activities outside the home. Using this time to clean and reorganize has created a surplus of clothing and household goods for donation and refuse for disposal. The temporary closure of the Public Drop Off and cessation of donation collection activities limits the opportunities available to residents with surplus goods and refuse to donate or dispose of their unwanted items appropriately. Some residents have disregarded the notices posted on many donation bins by their operators and continue to leave items in the vicinity of clothing donation bins, exacerbating existing issues.

At this time, no specific by-law related to clothing donation bins exists. When issues are reported, the By-law Enforcement Division addresses these complaints through the authority of Yard Waste, Exterior Property Maintenance & Littering By-law 3-2006. Section 7 of By-law 3-2006 prohibits depositing any refuse on public or private property. Pursuing enforcement against individuals leaving items inappropriately near clothing donation bins is not likely to be successful unless:

Individuals leaving items inappropriately at clothing donation bin locations, especially those depositing larger items, often do so after hours when traffic is low, adding another layer of challenge to enforcement actions. Ultimately, issues can be addressed by directing property owners to keep the areas around clothing donation bins clean of refuse. However, clothing donation bins often do not reside on property owned by the entities that operate them. In most cases, an agreement is made between the operating agency and the land owner in regards to maintenance.

Windsor does not currently regulate clothing bin donation or maintenance, but a number of other municipalities in Ontario do. A review of seven (7) comparable municipalities was undertaken and the results presented in the following table.