A VISUAL SURVEY OF DONATION BINS AND THEIR SECONDARY ...
嚜澤 VISUAL SURVEY OF DONATION BINS
AND THEIR SECONDARY EFFECTS
IN ARLINGTON, TEXAS
January 1, 2018 - March 31, 2018
By Robert Fugate
INDEX
Cover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Summary of Observations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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Locations With Multiple Donation Bins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Plaza at the Parks Area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Komen bin, ATRS bin, and the moving mattress . . . . . . . . .
9
Unidentified bin and Earth 1st Recycle Centers bin . . . . . . . 20
J.A.Y. Recycle Inc. bin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
On the Border and Outback Steakhouse Parking Lots . . . . 26
Arlington Towne Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Abandoned gas station 每 W. Pleasant Ridge at S. Bowen Road . . . 31
Shopping Center at W. Pioneer Pkwy and S. Fielder Road . . . . . . . 36
Shopping Center at W. Pioneer Pkwy and S. Bowen Road . . . . . . . 40
Locations With a Single Donation Bin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Unidentified Donation Bin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Specialized Litter Around Donation Bins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Broken Glass at Donation Bins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
Removal of Donation Bins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
Donation Bins with Similar Markings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
Rummaging Donated Items . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Baby Care Items . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
Identification of Surveyed Bins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
American Recyclers / Susan G. Komen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
2
Arms of Hope . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
ATRS, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
Clothes Bin? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
Earth 1st Recycle Centers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
J.A.Y. Recycle Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
JRF Brother Recycling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
St. Augustine Recycling, LLC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
The Arc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Unidentified Donation Bin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
Cover Photographs:
Arlington Towne Center, 4100 S. Cooper St.
Jan. 1, 2018.
Plaza At the Parks, Parks Mall Dr. Feb. 17,
2018.
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SUMMARY OF OBSERVATIONS
The donation bins surveyed in this study were located in Arlington, Texas and Pantego,
Texas (a city contained within Arlington). The period of observation was from January 1, 2018
to March 31, 2018. Some bins were identified after the study began. Likewise, at least one bin
was removed during the study period. During the three month observation period, several
observations were apparent. The study also included a follow-up period from April 1, 2018, to
April 13, 2018.
A total of thirty-one donation bins were observed. The observed bins were generally
located in southwest Arlington, the Parks Mall area, and central Arlington. Nine of these bins
were located at the Plaza at the Parks (immediately east of the Parks Mall), which was by far
the largest single concentration of donation bins. Four of the thirty bins were located in
Pantego. All addresses are in Arlington, unless Pantego is listed. The thirty-one bins were
operated by ten different operators.
A summary of observations follow.
1.
Locations With Multiple Donation Bins.
Large abandoned items and litter
were observed on a far more frequent basis at locations with multiple donation bins as
opposed to a single donation bin. In addition, abandoned items and litter were generally worse
at locations where the bins were not on a single property with a single, operating business. In
other words, the odds of abandoned bulk items and unkempt bins increased where multiple
bins are placed in a parking lot that serves multiple businesses, such as a mall or strip center. In
these cases, no one business has clear responsibility for the property. The incidences of
abandoned items and litter are also increased when the donation bins are placed in a back
parking lot or a parking area not connected to a specific business. Examples that support these
observations were repeatedly photographed at the Plaza at the Parks area, the Arlington
Towne Center shopping area, and an abandoned gas station located at W. Pleasant Ridge and S.
Bowen Road.
2.
Locations With a Single Donation Bin. Locations with a single donation bin on a
property where a single, active business was operating exhibited far fewer instances of
abandoned items and litter around the bin. Although there were some instances of abandoned
items, the items were generally smaller and cleaned up more quickly. A single business has a
clear association with the business and has a corresponding self-interest in ensuring that the
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donation bin is not operated in a manner that is detrimental to the business＊s own interest of
serving customers.
3.
Contact Information. The absence of contact information appears to be a factor
contributing to whether abandoned items and litter remain around donation bins for extended
periods. Only one such bin was located and surveyed in this study. The unidentified bin was
one of the worst in the study group. Litter and discarded items were left outside of the
unidentified ※Clothing Donation Box§ for weeks in the Plaza at the Parks. When donation bins
lack identifying information, it is impossible for concerned citizens to contact the owner about
clean-up. The unidentified bin was simply labeled ※CLOTHING DONATION BOX§ and ※CLOTHING
RECYCLING CENTER§.
4.
Litter Footprint. The area surrounding donation bins tends to result in a very
specific type of litter associated with donations. The surrounding area frequently has coat
hangers, small toys, clothes, and accessory items (like sunglasses and caps) on the ground.
These small items often become broken as they are run over by vehicles and are spread by
wind and traffic. As discussed below, broken glass was also common around donation bins.
The litter surrounding donation bins was often not removed even when a bin is otherwise
maintained.
5.
Broken Glass at Donation Bins. Broken glass is commonly found around
donation bins. The sources of broken glass included abandoned dishes, plate glass, and bottles.
The broken glass is often in the immediate area of the bins, putting donors at risk of injury. In
one instance, a child was observed making a donation to a bin with a large amount of broken
glass in the area where the child stepped to reach the bin drop-door.
6.
Removal of Bins. One observed bin, an ATRS, Inc. bin, was removed from its
location in the 1600 block of West Pioneer Parkway. However, the litter 每 including broken
glass and a shaving blade 每 were left in the parking space. This incident demonstrates the need
for operators to clean the surrounding area when donation bins are removed.
7.
Rummaging. During the study period, there were six observed instances when it
appeared that items left near donation bins were being selectively taken or rummaged. In each
of these cases, some 每 but not all 每 items left outside of donation bins were taken. Two of
these occasions involved dishes. One occasion involved several boxes of clothes. The
remaining three occasions involved individual items: a baby stroller, a pair of shoes, and a toy.
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