For our second scamming-related story today, we turn to those pink used-clothing bins that have been popping up all over the city and especially in Brooklyn. In case you missed it, they’re an absolute crock.

According to the Times, the bins from Narciso Recycling Company/Viltex do not “Provide Money to Charities” as their labels claim, but instead, sell donated clothing to thrift shops and businesses overseas, directly benefitting the for-profit companies. What’s more, the bins are blocking public sidewalks, which is a violation of city law and an eyesore for those of us who live near them.

So, now that you know that they’re terrible, here are your options: If a new bin pops up near your apartment, feel free to place a call to the 311 hotline. The bin will be tagged and the owner will have 30 days to remove the offending receptacle. Cool. Unfortunately, that’s not the most effective way to deal with the bins. This year, the Department of Sanitation has tagged 2,006 of the bins, but only six percent, or 132 bins, have been hauled away.

The burden falls to us to stop using them. It doesn’t matter if that garbage bag full of acid wash jeans and peasant shirts is burning a hole in the corner of your room and you can’t bear to look at it for one more minute, don’t put it in those bins! Here’s a list of non-profits in Brooklyn that would love to take those used clothes off your hands. If enough of us stop using those piece-of-crap bins, maybe they’ll disappear for good.

Follow Nikita Richardson on Twitter @nikitarbk