Thursday 30 June 2016

"Watch out for the latest scam: Fake clothing recycling bins"

Says a press release from businesswaste.co.uk that somehow landed in my inbox:

Local and national charities are being cheated out of income by ambitious criminal who have started leaving fake clothes banks in towns and cities...

According to BusinessWaste.co.uk, it’s got to the point where local authorities are impounding dishonestly-placed “charity” bins which only exist to make crooks richer.

“The people are a blight on decent society,” says BusinessWaste.co.uk spokesperson Mark Hall, “They prey on people’s charitable instincts just for personal profit.”


It's another job for Land Value Tax Man isn't it?

The council can just rent out pitches for recycling banks to the highest bidder and spend the proceeds on 'charitable purposes' (or give local charities a discount on the rent). The highest bidder gets a little placard to attach to his clothes bank to make it easier to spot the fraudsters/non-payers, whose banks are repossessed and rented out to a winning bidder.

If businesses can recycle more efficiently than charities, the super-profits arising from favourably located clothes banks will go to charity. If businesses can't recycle more efficiently, then charities will outbid them, and all the rent they pay ends back in their hands anyway.

11 comments:

Lola said...

As this is clearly a profitable business why are charities involved in it all?

Bayard said...

Lola, to make money, of course. The charities aren't recycling clothing to help the donors of unwanted clothing, they are doing it to raise money for their good causes. It's like running a tombola or a bottle stall.

Having said that, I would have thought that most people donate unwanted clothing to charities because they don't want to throw away something potentially useful, rather than any great desire to help the charities concerned.

Mark Wadsworth said...

L, why shouldn't they? It's better than the endless begging. Oxfam shops have always made a modest profit.

B, agreed.

Unknown said...

Oxfam shops have always made a modest profit.

Free stock and mainly free staff. I should damn well hope they do make a modest profit. Otherwise, what would be the point?

Unknown said...

Um, this is all very interesting and stuff. Kudos for ataying admirably "on message" and all that. But, how can I put this - have you not noticed anything else going on out there? You know, some kind of a "moment".
It's almost like how dear old Tim Harfords first article post-Brexit was about Olympics funding - hhmmm.
Keep up the good work guys! Guess I'll just have to enjoy these "interesting times" without the always intriguing inputs from the YPP.

Mark Wadsworth said...

TM, no point, once.

SV, do you mean all the hot air about Brexit? No biggie and not much we can add. Make up your own mind and keep your fingers crossed.

Unknown said...

MW - Actually I'm just starting to get Brexit fatigue about now. So, is the YPP stance still that it's all just negotiating/jockeying/the great game/etc.? But a 2nd referendum? Yikes!

Bayard said...

SV, but what is "going on out there" is mainly the Bremainers' bullshit machine on overdrive and not worth taking any notice of unless you suffer from low blood pressure.
Unless, of course you mean the Labour party self-destructing - again.

Mark Wadsworth said...

TM, "once" was spell check in overdrive, I can;t even remember what I meant to type.

SV, we got Brexit fatigue months ago. As B says it's all just posturing, here on the ground, nothing has changed. The Brexiteers have been brought down to earth a little bit with their exaggerations about the magnificent new world they promised, that's all.

Sackerson said...

The banks are fake recycling bins for money.

Physiocrat said...

I thought charities were just businesses which gave a little bit of their income to "the needy". Silly me.