By Noah Reem
Baltimore Watchdog Staff Writer
The Baltimore County Council on Tuesday threw its support behind a bill to tightly regulate owners of donation bins after complaining about trash bags, mattresses and other objects littering the bin sites.
“In certain areas, they [donation bins] have become quite a nuisance,” said Councilman Todd Crandell. “I’ve seen baby strollers, coffee tables, and mattresses.”
Bill 3-20, also known as “hands-on deck,” would impose tougher regulations on where the donation bins could be stationed throughout Baltimore County.
“Up until now they have been unregulated,” Crandell said.
A donation bin is described in the bill as “an unattended stationary or freestanding container, receptacle, drop-off box, small trailer or a similar small device or facility that is placed outdoors and is used for the solicitation and donation of items of personal property to be donated or recycled for reuse.” Examples of donated items include textiles, shoes and books.
“I believe that these donation bins are important as a non-profit,” said Council Chair Cathy Bevins. “However, it has been my experience that when people dump in front of these bins… Baltimore County Code Enforcement comes after the property owner.”
Council members agreed the issue also stems from a lack of urgency from the collecting companies. The bill would require bin owners to have a 24-hour contact service and scheduled once-a-week pick up services.
“The property owner said, ‘I do not want this box on my property any longer’ and it still took three to four months for this organization to get that box off the property,” said Bevins.
Councilman Izzy Patoka agreed, “I know that some of the bins are for a good cause, but it comes at the cost of the beauty of our county.”
Bevins said citizens complain, call the organizations supplying the bins with concerns and never receive a call back.
Several speakers offered their opinions before the board, including three representatives of organizations that supply and manage bins across the county, as well as around the country.
Frank Fowler, an operations manager of the nonprofit Planet Aid, refuted criticisms that the business lack management of their clothing bins.
“We work diligently to keep areas around the county clean,” said Fowler. “We’re not perfect but we try our best.”
Planet Aid is a non-profit out of Holliston, Massachusetts with headquarters in Elkridge that focuses on collecting clothing for redistribution and recycling.
Fowler said that Planet Aid visits each of its bins at least once a day to collect any unwanted items and answers calls about the items 24 hours.
“I’m going to have to disagree with you about the timing of picking up,” Bevins said. “We have community people that use their own trucks and clean these messes up and take them to the dump.”
Judy Jones, a family coordinator at Salem United Methodist Church, attended the meeting to support the donation bin bill.
“I am here to support any amendment that can be made to this bill regarding the bins,” Jones said. “We have not yet installed a shed, but we are hopeful that we can.”
The council is expected to vote on the bin bill Feb. 18.