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Donation bins scarce in Langley as communities review bans

Several communities have banned the bins, but Vancouver is allowing them again
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A few donation bins can still be found on the streets of Langley, as other communities debate whether or not they should be banned or allowed to return.

Vancouver announced this week that donation bins will be allowed back, as long as they are safe – an attempt to prevent any more deaths resulting from people becoming stuck inside the bins.

There have been eight deaths across Canada in recent years linked to people becoming trapped in bins, including several in the Lower Mainland.

Back in 2013, Langley Township put tougher restrictions on donation bins – not because of safety concerns, but because they were becoming eyesores.

The policy required boxes that had become “deteriorated” or “dilapidated,” or had become a physical hazard, to be fixed up within 48 hours. Otherwise, the owners of the box would foreit a security deposit.

READ MORE: Township restricts street donation bins

Despite the rules, there were controversies over mess around donation bins as recently as this past spring, when a donation bin was removed from near North Otter Elementary on 248th Street after it began overflowing with dropped off clothing items.

In 2016, Langley City banned any new donation drop boxes from being installed, part of a tightening of restrictions on thrift shops. Existing bins were not outright banned, but the ban on new bins seems to have swept most bins from the City over the last few years.

Currently, few bins are visible in Langley Township compared to a few years ago, when they were a common sight in parking lots or on gravel pullouts off major roads such as Fraser Highway.



Matthew Claxton

About the Author: Matthew Claxton

Raised in Langley, as a journalist today I focus on local politics, crime and homelessness.
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