Hundreds of donation bins in San Jose are misleading donors, operating without permission, and taking donations away from charities that serve the community, city leaders and local nonprofits said Tuesday. Goodwill Silicon Valley estimates there are at least 300 illegitimate bins scattered throug hout San Jose. Goodwill said most are placed illegally in parking lots, near schools and on private property – collecting donations people believe are staying local. “We’ve got some bad actors out there that are trying to take advantage of our community,” San Jose Councilmember Michael Mulcahy said. City leaders said many of the bins aren’t connected to legitimate charities at all. “We started doing some research and realized that these are not authorized,” Mulcahy said. “I called property owners all over the city, the district that I represent, and nobody had given any permission to put these out.” Goodwill said many of the bins are operated by for-profit companies that sell donated items in bulk or overseas. The bins also often become magnets for illegal dumping, graffiti and overflowing trash. San Jose passed an ordinance years ago limiting donation bins and requiring permits, but officials said enforcement has lagged, allowing unapproved bins to multiply. They said it’s now unclear whether any permitted donation bins are even operating in the city, making it difficult for donors to know which bins they can trust. Goodwill is working with the city on possible solutions. In the meantime, Goodwill said if people are planning to donate, the safest bet is to take their items directly to a nonprofit’s staffed donation center or retail location. ...read more read less