Paul Feiner wants to force clothing donation bins to say if they actually benefit needy —as he warns they’re often no help

Your donated yarns can be shredded instead.

That’s the warning from a Westchester County Democrat who is proposing a law that would require clothing donation bins to include signs indicating exactly where the gifts will actually end up.

Clothing thrown into the ubiquitous trash bins – usually found outside places like shopping malls, places of worship and government buildings – does not end up on the backs of the needy and is instead sold by the ton at for profit to recycling companies, said Paul, the city’s longtime supervisor. Feiner told the Post on Wednesday.

“It’s definitely something that’s been bothering me for about a year. You know, I frequently donate to these clothing bins, and then I find out that most of the donations just get shredded,” Feiner, 68, said.

“Sometimes the bins contain very colorful photos (of people in need), and it feels like we’re doing something good for people or children who are poor or those who just can’t afford it. to buy clothes,” he added.

A public hearing on the proposal was set for Wednesday evening, but Feiner said he did not expect there would be any objections to making the signage “as specific as possible” about what the trash cans are — even though profits from recycled clothing are donated to charity.

“I know my wife sometimes cleans and folds the clothes we drop off, so it’s very upsetting to learn that clothes don’t really serve the purposes people think they do,” said Feiner, who led the city of suburb. for 32 years.

Feiner said there are specific locations in Greenburgh where residents can donate clothing that will be worn, such as Midnight Run in Dobbs Ferry or hotels housing migrants in Ardsley.

However, clothing that ends up in the donation bin outside Greenburgh City Hall eventually gets destroyed, the city manager said, explaining that a for-profit company pays the government $75 per months to settle there – without the knowledge of most donors.

Feiner expects the measure to be voted on by the City Council in two weeks after a public review.