Illegal Pink Clothes Collection Bins Continue To Pop Up In Gowanus

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Back in early July, I posted about a big pink clothes collection bin that was illegally placed on the sidewalk in front of an empty lot on Hoyt Street between Second Street and Third Street. Local residents contacted the NYC Department of Sanitation, which removed it promptly.

Over the summer, similar ones have popped up in Gowanus.  The one pictured above is currently standing on 5th Street between Smith and Hoyt Streets. Obviously, it is filled, because someone left several black plastic bags of clothing and other textiles right next to it.
(The Sanitation department is already on the case and is giving the owner of the box 30 days to remove it, though one wonders why the agency isn't just confiscating it immediately.)

Though they may seem like legitimate donation bins and are labeled "Our Neighborhood Recycling", these metal containers are placed on city sidewalks by a for-profit entity. It is unclear who where the profits from the sale of the items placed in them goes, but most probably not for charitable causes.

If you see a random box without clear markings indicating what legal organization it belongs to, please assume that it is a scam. In the meantime, you can bring your used clothing to the Greenmarket at Carroll Street on Sunday mornings.