Seen clothes being taken from textile donation bins? Let this social enterprise know
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The appeal comes after a video of a couple taking items from a bin in Sengkang made the rounds online.
PHOTOS: SCREENGRABS FROM SGFOLLOWSALL/TELEGRAM
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SINGAPORE - A local fashion social enterprise that seeks to minimise textile waste has appealed to the public for witnesses to incidents in which donated items were removed from donation bins.
This follows a video of a couple collecting items from a textile donation bin at a void deck in Sengkang that made the rounds online.
The 10-minute video was shared on local Telegram channel Sgfollowsall, and the caption accompanying it stated that the incident took place at 12.30am on Feb 16. As at Feb 18, the video had amassed more than 17,000 views.
The donation bins are managed by Cloop, the fashion social enterprise.
In response to queries from The Straits Times, a spokesperson from Cloop said a number of similar incidents had previously been observed.
“Numerous cases have been brought up, especially during the festive season when the recycling frequency rate is usually higher,” the spokesperson added.
“We urge anyone who witnesses an incident to please record the date and time of the incident and bin number and submit these details via Cloop’s website inquiry page or WhatsApp on 8033-8220.
“This would help us track the frequency of such incidents, mitigate them, and respond in a timely manner.”
Attempts at theft may not only prevent clothes from being recycled, but could also cause damage to donation bins, and create a mess that could inconvenience residents, said the spokesperson.
“We had incidents where people pry open bags and take what they want, then throw the rest of the items on the floor outside the bin.”
Cloop’s spokesperson added that some alleged attempts at theft were caught on site by its recycling partner, Life Line Clothing, of which a number were reported to the police.
A spokesperson from Life Line said it is not easy to take legal action in such instances as the value of the items inside the containers may be difficult to determine.
But Cloop’s spokesperson said repeat offenders would likely have legal action taken against them.
The social enterprise is considering ways to prevent such incidents, such as the installation of a security chute bin, added its spokesperson. “However, due to how compact our estates are built, the closing of the chute lid will cause an echo which could disturb residents.”
The 2022 nationwide roll-out of Cloop’s iconic yellow bins
