Editor’s Note: While questions have been raised concerning the charitable status of some organizations that collect donations through bins, the Association des généreux pour enfants handicapés (whose bin is shown at the beginning of the video) is listed as a registered charity on the Canada Revenue Agency website.
A warning is being issued to all well-intended people who drop off their used clothes into donation bins — a lot of them are scams.
Le Support, a non-profit charity organization that helps people with intellectual disabilities, complains the proliferation of metal bins is due to private companies selling the clothes to developing countries for profit.
“It’s a scam, it’s a scam,” said Philipppe Siebes, director general of Le Support.
He complains the companies aren’t registered as charitable organizations with Revenue Canada. Instead, these companies allegedly export the clothes for profit.
Le Support has dropped its funding to non-profit associations by 60 per cent in recent years because of the explosion of illegitimate bins.
Le Support has bins across Montreal and sells donated used clothing to Value Village. The registered charity distributes its revenues to other non-profit organizations.
Siebes argues Montreal and other cities and towns need to regulate how and where bins should be placed, and only allow registered charities to set up bins for clothing collections.
The Quebec foundation for single parent families is an example of a non-registered association that, according to Siebes, exports donated clothes for profit.
No one answered when Global News called the number listed on the bin and no one returned our calls.
There is also no mention of the foundation’s name in the recorded message.
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