Frequently Asked Questions
Does Clothes Bin® affect charities?
Clothes Bin® does not compete with charities. Clothes Bin® is a green for-profit recycling franchise, and each Bin clearly states “Clothes Bin® is not a charity. Contributions made here are not tax-deductible.” If someone would like to continue giving their clothing to their favorite charity they can continue to do so. If they would like to get a tax receipt for their donation they can do so. Clothes Bin® is targeting the 85% of clothing ending up in landfills; the 17 billion pounds per year that unnecessarily end up in landfills.
How does Clothes Bin® give back to the community?
Clothes Bin® partners with schools and religious organizations and give money monthly for every pound recycled in the Bins. Currently, this includes over 400 organizations across the country.
What makes Clothes Bin® a “green” business?
Clothes Bin® helps divert the 17 billion pounds per year unnecessarily ending up in landfills. Clothes Bin® only services Bins when they are approaching capacity which helps the impact on our carbon footprint. Clothes Bin® gives back to schools by paying a price for all poundage collected at their facilities. In this program, we also help educate students, parents, and faculty on the environmental benefits of keeping clothing out of landfills.
Do you offer any discounts for the franchise fee?
Yes, Discount information can be found on our Franchise Investment, Requirements and Startup Costs page.
Do I need to quit my job to own a Clothes Bin®?
No. Some of the scenarios of current Clothes Bin® franchisees include already having a job when they joined. Some were in a job search when they joined, and some have switched jobs while a Clothes Bin® franchisee.
Do I have to go through the clothes that are placed in my Bin?
We do not sort through any of the clothing, and shoes contributed to the Bins. They are sold as-is to buyers who then in turn grade, sort, and analyze the clothing.
Do I have to go through the clothes that are placed in my Bin?
We do not sort through any of the clothing, and shoes contributed to the Bins. They are sold as-is to buyers who then in turn grade, sort, and analyze the clothing.
How much time do I need to spend on the business as an owner?
The opening of the business is where the most time will be spent. We have a four-phase pre-opening checklist which we work directly together with our franchisees on completing. If you would like to be as hands-off and part-time as possible, we do provide an optional service, the Bin Location Service, where we will work on a franchisee’s behalf to sign up locations within your territory. Once your Bins are operating and placed at locations the time spent will be to manage your couple of part-time employees, manage your customers and review your business statistics to see if any Bins need to be optimized to new locations on the same property, or moved to new locations.
How do I find buyers?
Clothes Bin® has a National Buyer Program consisting of buyers throughout the country. Clothes Bin® also offers assistance with acquiring new buyers.
Does Clothes Bin® affect charities?
Clothes Bin® does not compete with charities. Clothes Bin® is a green for-profit recycling franchise, and each Bin clearly states “Clothes Bin® is not a charity. Contributions made here are not tax-deductible.” If someone would like to continue giving their clothing to their favorite charity they can continue to do so. If they would like to get a tax receipt for their donation they can do so. Clothes Bin® is targeting the 85% of clothing ending up in landfills; the 17 billion pounds per year that unnecessarily end up in landfills.
How do I find locations for the Bins?
During the training program in-territory, we train franchisees on how to sign up locations for the Bins. For those franchisees looking to be hands-off, we also provide an optional Bin Location Service for new locations or to optimize locations in the future.
How many Bins can I place in one territory?
Every franchise territory is designed to hold a minimum of 60 Bins, however, the required minimum purchase of Bins is 20. There is no set maximum or limit for the number of Bins in a territory.
What’s the typical amount of time until I can open for business?
Clothes Bin’s corporate goal is for franchisees to be operating with their first set of Bins within 90 days of paying the initial fees.
How many times does Clothes Bin® come to my territory to help me with my business?
Clothes Bin® is in each franchisee’s territory a minimum of 3 times as part of the pre and post-opening support
What features make Clothes Bin® different from other collection Bins?
Clothes Bin’s custom Bin design includes construction using galvanized steel, and powder-coated paint mixed with an anti-graffiti solution. The Bins use a mailbox-style chute which keeps the opening closed as clothing is placed in the Bin. This design also protects against weather. The signage is made by 3M, uses a special powder coated paint adhesive, and is UV laminated. Inside the Bins BLIP(r) monitors the fill levels of the Bins and pro-actively notifies the franchisee when it’s time to service the Bins.
Where do the clothes go after they are emptied from the Bin?
The Clothing is either delivered locally or loaded onto your 53’ storage trailer to be sold in bulk
How does Clothes Bin® give back to the community?
Clothes Bin® partners with schools and religious organizations and give money monthly for every pound recycled in the Bins. Currently, this includes over 200 organizations across the country.
How do you service the Bins?
Your driver pulls up next to the Bin. Using BLIP(r) the driver knows which key to use to open the front door. Using the app, the driver takes pictures of the location and Bin contents and enters the number of bags collected at each site for the franchise owner’s analysis. The bags of clothes are then loaded onto the box truck loose.
Are there discounts if I buy more than one territory?
Yes, Discount information can be found on our Franchise Investment, Requirements and Startup Costs page.
Do you offer any discounts for the franchise fee?
Yes, Discount information can be found on our Franchise Investment, Requirements and Startup Costs page.
What is considered a textile?
Please see this link for a list of textiles > https://fillthebins.com/bin/
Who is a buyer of the clothes once I have them?
Buyers can be local thrift stores and second-hand stores. Buyers can be local small wholesalers or flea market types of buyers. Buyers can be regional, national or international wholesalers and graders of clothing who may sell to their owned retail stores domestically and internationally. Buyers can also be brokers who connect Clothes Bin® with the end buyers.
How do I hire employees?
Clothes Bin® has recommended places to post advertisements for hiring with certain boilerplate items for some of the criteria that match the job description. Drivers do not need a CDL (Commercial Driver License)
How many employees do I need?
We recommend two part-time employees. Depending on the number of Bins and territories you operate you would scale from there. The idea behind having two employees, in the beginning, is if an employee leaves, you are not down to zero employees.
Who would be a good candidate for the driver position?
People looking for additional work by the day. People who may have experience working for delivery companies already and need additional hours. People looking for a job where they are active and not sitting behind a desk all day. People looking to have more autonomy in their job, and not be constantly micro-managed.
What happens during the two training programs?
Corporate Training Program – This training program is at the corporate office in South Florida and is a two-day training program.
How large is a territory?
Territories on average have at least 350 gas stations. We also take into consideration average income levels. The territories are protected by zip codes which are entered into each territory franchise agreement. We have detailed maps available for all franchise territories.
How do I market my Bins?
The Bins are billboards themselves. We look to place Bins in the best location on each property. When we partner with schools or religious organizations, they can help promote the program. We currently do not have a marketing or advertising requirement.
How do I improve the performance of my business?
Bin Optimization. Using the BLIP(r) software we can analyze the performance of each Bin location. Finding new spots on properties or moving to a new location is a best practice we call Bin Optimization.
How long do I wait to identify if a location is good or bad for my Bin?
We begin to analyze the performance of a Bin location within 30-60 days.
How do you manage the potential for graffiti or trash in the Bin?
We want to be in the most visible location possible, and not be hidden in the back of properties. If we do encounter markings on the Bin, the powder coat on each Bin is pre-mixed with an anti-graffiti solution. We use one ingredient to remove graffiti, sharpies, or other types of markings on the Bin.
Do I need to have office space to run this business?
No need for office space. As long as you have an internet connection you can manage Clothes Bin®. For storage, each franchisee has a 53’ storage trailer to hold the clothing and supplies used to run the franchise.
How do I fund my Clothes Bin Franchise?
Clothes Bin® is an SBA-approved franchise. Clothes Bin® does not directly provide financing but there are 3rd party options available. Currently, franchisees have invested through liquidity, 401k rollovers, HELOCs, SBA loans, and 3rd party equipment financing.
How much is your royalty fee?
The Clothes Bin® royalty fee is $6 per Bin, per week.
What ongoing support does Clothes Bin® provide?
Clothes Bin® provides video conferencing support for sales of clothing, financial software support, BLIP(r) support, monthly business reviews, in-person training, bin location services, bin placement services, webinar-based support, and the franchise advisory council.
How many days per week will my employee work?
An employee will be scheduled at least one day per each set of 20 Bins. This number may increase based on distance, poundage collected by the Bins, deliveries and other factors.
How much do you pay for the clothes that go into the Bin?
The clothing and shoes are contributed to the Bins free of charge.
Do I need to follow a set schedule to run the business?
Using the BLIP(r) software, a franchisee can choose the days and times they want their drivers to service the Bin. There is no “set schedule” and is the choice of the franchise owners.
How long does it take to service a full Bin?
Our best practice is to allocate 15 minutes for an employee to service a full Bin.
How do you track the number of clothes you are taking in?
After completing a service route of Bins, the driver will take the truck to a weigh station to know the weight collected on the route.
How do I know when a bin is full?
The BLIP(r) sensors take readings every two hours. You can set up proactive notifications via text message and/or email. When logging into BLIP you can see 3 colors that represent the fill levels of all Bins in a territory. (0-49% green, 50-74% amber, 75-100% red).
How do I create a route for the driver?
A route is created by the franchise owner or manager using the BLIP software and can be created in 5 minutes or less.
Can I monitor my employees remotely?
Yes, routes are tracked through BLIP, the updates are saved in real-time, and pictures are taken from each service event which is also available to be reviewed either in real-time or at a later time.
Do I need to quit my job to own a Clothes Bin®?
No. Some of the scenarios of current Clothes Bin® franchisees include already having a job when they joined. Some were in a job search when they joined, and some have switched jobs while a Clothes Bin® franchisee.
What will I learn at a Discovery Day?
Discovery Day gives you an opportunity to tour our facilities, to meet our team, to have a fun dinner getting to know each other the night before and to see the operations at work in Florida. We visit a local thrift store buyer to see what the buyers of the clothing do with the merchandise. We the different types of locations where Bins can be placed any¬where USA. There is also one-on-one time with the key team members and a conference room recap at the end.
Why do I need to be trained on how to service the Bins?
The purpose of the two-day corporate training program is to learn and know how the operations of the business work. This way, you can manage your employees from experience.
How do you move a Bin?
A Bin can be moved using a pallet jack (part of initial supplies) from one location to another on a property. To move the Bin to another property, we use the pallet jack to wheel the Bin onto the powered liftgate of a 26’ box truck and then secure the Bin inside the truck.
How do I control theft from the Bin?
The Bins use a mailbox-style chute that closes behind the product being placed into the Bin. The Bin is secured by a heavy-duty circular master lock with no external parts that otherwise may be tampered with using bolt cutters as an example with a regular padlock
What insurance is required to run the business?
A general liability policy is required. We can assist with a 3rd party insurance broker licensed across the country to provide quotes and the exact policy. When using a truck either the rental insurance required to cover the franchise minimums or a commercial vehicle policy with the same requirements is used to cover the truck
What type of truck do you use?
The day-to-day trucks typically used are 14-16’ box trucks. When moving Bins, typically a 26’ truck with a power liftgate is used. Neither of these trucks requires a Commercial Driver License (CDL)
How many trucks do I need?
One truck is sufficient to run multiple territories.
Do I need to own my own box truck?
Owning a truck is optional based on the cost savings of how often you use the truck and how often you rent the truck either currently or after adding additional Bins. Truck expenses are a key metric we track with franchisees and provide support and advice on the options as you grow your business.
Do I need to brand the truck?
No, we do not recommend branding the truck.
What does BLIP stand for?
Bin Location Information Program.
How can I give back to my community with this business?
Schools and religious organizations that are paid by the pound for clothing contributed to the Bins are a great way to get the community involved in the recycling efforts.
How can I partner with schools?
Clothes Bin® has a section of the Operations Manual dedicated to the program, and the Director of Training’s experience in working with schools across the country is how we teach our franchisees how to do the same in their territories.
What makes Clothes Bin® a “green” business?
Clothes Bin® helps divert the 17 billion pounds per year unnecessarily ending up in landfills. Clothes Bin® only services Bins when they are approaching capacity which helps the impact on our carbon footprint. Clothes Bin® gives back to schools by paying a price for all poundage collected at their facilities. In this program, we also help educate students, parents, and faculty on the environmental benefits of keeping clothing out of landfills.