More than 100 charity bins have been removed from Melbourne’s railway stations and replaced by bins from a private for-profit recycling company.

Southern Cross Recycling, which Metro hired to exclusively manage charity recycling bins on railway land, now owns and manages all 220 bins at stations for its own income.

Michael Rawlinson with unused recycled clothing bins. Credit:Jason South

According to Metro, 130 bins at 70 stations have been removed in the last six years. Southern Cross Recycling now exclusively owns and manages all 220 clothing bins at 90 stations, and collects the revenue. Metro also now earns a fee from each bin, when it earned nothing from the charities.

Michael Rawlinson, St Vincent de Paul Society Victoria’s retail operations manager, said it was ‘‘disgusting’’ that Metro allowed commercialisation to replace charity. St Vincent de Paul had about 20 bins at railway stations five years ago, he said, but was asked to remove them all.