Town to target used clothing boxes across New Tecumseth
Posted October
23, 2012
Options available to regulate the placement of the used clothing bins
in New Tecumseth will be subject of a Town staff report as the
anticipated next step to controlling where they can be located.
Prompted last week by Ward 2 councillor Jamie Smith, and ratified by
council last night, "a very short report with some suggestions" is
expected back in December.
"The clothing collection box at the corner of Centre and Wellington has
been a sore point for some time, it's used as a garbage dump by a lot
of people, and a lot of stuff is left there that ought not to be left
there," said councillor Smith, noting he and other councillors
complained about one recently placed in the parking lot at Alliston
which was since removed. "I receive complaints about these clothing
collection boxes fairly often, mainly the ones in residential
neighbourhoods, and the ones that are not on property where there's a
manager or somebody who keeps it sort of semi clean."
He wants the Town to establish "some rules that would keep them out of
residential neighbourhoods and away from residences or maybe require a
permit to have them and setting up some rules about how to be kept in
good order."
"There is one for example at the Pioneer gas station on the edge of
town that's always clean and looks good and I think that's because
there's somebody there watching what's going on. It's the ones that are
left for weeks on end by out of town people. And maybe we can use it to
raise a little revenue."
Ward 6 councillor Richard Norcross said he receives complaints from
Beeton residents, "more particularly about the same location down at 60
Main Street where it seems to be used as a dumping ground, and that's
not residential property, it's commercial property but it's sitting
there and nobody's watching it. It's being used as a garbage dump. So
there's got to be someway we as a municipality can regulate where these
boxes are going."
CBC News
reported earlier this year that a "turf war" had developed across the
province as it relates to the used clothing bin business. The
article noted that the business was valued at $174 million across the
country in 2010, and Ontario's share was $132 million. And while
charities are a component of the proceeds, in many cases they receive a
flat fee, and the used clothes are then sold throught thrift stores,
and overseas.
