The city is banning donation bins.
Council Monday evening agreed with a staff recommendation to declare the clothing donation bins unsafe and order organizations to remove their bins by Jan. 29. If they are not voluntarily removed, the city will remove them at the owners' expense. Staff will also prepare a bylaw which formally makes bins not permitted in the city.
Council also agreed there many organizations such as Big Brothers who will pick up donated clothing items, so not having bins isn't going to be an imposition. Coun. Dan Copeland said it's unfortunate the city has to take such measures but there are people who feel the need to rummage through them, noting he saw someone going through one last night.
Since 2017, donation bins have been prohibited from city property and Delta rights-of-way, but there's approximately 31 donation bins on private property throughout the community.
The Delta school district recently said it would be securing shut clothing bins on its property and would be posting notices that the bins are out of service.
Several municipalities have also implemented bans.
Last week a 35-year-old Toronto woman died after becoming trapped inside a bin.
Last month a 34-year-old man died in a similar mishap in West Vancouver.
