A non-profit announced Thursday that it is removing all of its donation bins after the death of a man in West Vancouver on Dec. 30.
“Inclusion BC was deeply saddened to learn of the death of a man in one of our clothing donation bins in West Vancouver,” said a news release. “Our deepest condolences go out to all who have been touched by this tragic event. Safety is a top priority for Inclusion BC and our member agencies that participate in the ClothesDrop recycling program.”
The society held an emergency meeting today (Jan. 3) and decided to remove 146 bins currently placed in Greater Vancouver, Fraser Valley, Sunshine Coast, Interior BC and Central and North Vancouver Island. Removal has already started and should be completed by early next week. All bins will be moved to secure storage until safety modifications can be made to ensure public safety.
“In 2018, we asked the University of BC's Mechanical Engineering Capstone Project Course to work with our Canadian bin manufacturer to design a new bin that would address safety issues and ensure a public safety standard,” said the statement. “Student-designed safety modifications are now in the prototype phase to address how to prevent people from entering into the bins and other related safety issues. We will continue to work with our bin manufacturer, municipal authorities, design experts and community partners to formalize and promote the adoption of industry-wide safety standards to keep our communities safe. These are just initial steps towards ensuring public safety while we continue working with our partners, communities and other charities that rely on this fundraising model to find satisfactory solution to broader and complex issues.”
The society said it will continue to accept clothing donations at indoor and monitored collection sites pending resolution of the bin safety issues.
