Giving away used clothes for a second life feels like an act of charity – and it often is. But it’s become more complicated.
A W5 investigation has discovered allegations that organized crime players are muscling in on legitimate charities to get access to their surprisingly lucrative clothing donation bins.
Some of these, according to police reports and court records, may be willing to use violence against their rivals to get that clothing cash.
At stake are tens of millions of dollars in clothes that can be resold, or in some cases exported into the international market.
How can you know whether your clothes are going to support charities – or end up fuelling potentially organized crime?
1. Consider donating directly
Give your clothing directly to people you know who are in need.
The lock being cut off of a ‘rogue’ bin in Markham, On. The city of Markham removes and destroys unlicensed bins in their jurisdiction. (November 2023 W5 Kirk Neff
Or bring your reusable clothes to a local homeless or women’s shelter.
2. Check the charity
Check the bin for a 9 digit Canada Revenue Agency registered charity number. If there is a number, go to this site and search the CRA’s registry, making sure to click the dropdown menu and select “All” for status to see if it has been revoked or has other issues. Some charity numbers on bins are fake or are no longer active.
A bin sporting a Canadian Community Support Foundation logo and CRA charity number. Be sure to check the information on the bin. A search of their name or charity number on the CRA website (select ‘all’ for status) will indicate that their charitable status was revoked. (January 2024. W5 Joseph Loiero)
If a bin doesn’t have a charity number at all, that is a potential red flag.
3. Know before you go
Some cities have actively cracked down on the seedier side of clothing donation bins, including Markham. That city offers a comprehensive website with the locations of bins and who’s behind them.
Same with Diabetes Canada – they have a cross-country map that can guide you to their bins.
4. Call the charity
Often real charities will happily provide you information about their activities over the phone or through annual reports. If a number on the bin doesn’t go through, or worse, doesn’t appear to exist, that could be cause for concern.
Call the number on the bin. If the number is out of service that is another red flag.
5. Ask for action
In some cities, clothing donation bins are tightly regulated and those regulations are regularly enforced. In others, the regulations are unenforced or nonexistent, allowing anyone to put a bin anywhere. Communicating with your local representative might encourage action by regulators and rein in rogue players.
