Wayne May Ban Clothing Donation Bins

WAYNE, NJ - Wayne officials are considering a ban of clothing donation boxes located in parking lots around the township.

An ordinance was introduced on Wednesday that would prohibit “the use and placement of clothing bins” anywhere in town – regardless of whether it is operated by a charity or a for-profit company.

The mayor and council first began looking into the issue in January, after Councilman At Large Joseph Schweighardt raised concerns about a few local boxes that were run by for-profit entities.

Besides preferring residents give old items to collection efforts run by Wayne-based organizations, the councilman said he has observed that some of the bins are not being maintained and are overflowing with donations.

Mayor Chris Vergano said he's seen similar around the boxes and added that the township doesn’t have the manpower to “go out and inspect” bins.

During Wednesday’s meeting, the mayor said, “The other problem is they pop up overnight and don’t get permits, and then we have to try to track down the owners."

"This has been a struggle for many years," Vergano said.

Councilwoman Francine Ritter, who voted against the ordinance’s introduction, expressed concern over the environmental impact and whether residents would toss old clothes in the garbage if the township got rid of the bins, which are a convenient way for many to donate.

Ritter also asked officials to consider “alternatives to a ban.”

If adopted, Wayne joins a growing number of towns across the country to regulate collection bins.

In recent years, a handful of communities in Illinois, California and Florida, have passed laws to control donation boxes due to complaints about companies putting the bins in parking lots without permission and not maintaining them, USA Today reported.

Other municipalities pursued regulations in response to more and more donation boxes being operated by for-profit recycling firms or non-profits that give just a small percentage of proceeds to charity, the newspaper reported.

Some towns have outright banned then, while others have started to require use permits and maintenance schedules, the report said.