Clothing Please introduces ESME: A life-saving innovation improving clothing bin safety

Clothing Please has launched ESME (Electronic Signal Motion Equipment), a safety solution designed to address a serious and often overlooked issue: people getting trapped inside clothing donation bins. What began as a simple design brief for warning signs evolved into the development of ESME, a first-of-its-kind technology that transforms donation bins from hidden dangers into actively monitored safe spaces.

Clothing donation bins, while intended as a community resource, have become unintended traps for vulnerable individuals seeking shelter or valuables. Recognising that warning signs alone weren’t enough, Clothing Please developed ESME, a proactive system that uses advanced motion and temperature detection to monitor the bins 24/7.

ESME alerts operators the moment someone attempts to enter or becomes trapped, allowing them to intervene before injury occurs.

In just one year, ESME has stepped in 25 times to prevent people from entering the bins, potentially saving lives.

Additionally, the system has enabled 7 successful rescues of trapped individuals, providing immediate support that includes shelter, clothing, furniture, and essential foods.

In a bold move to amplify its impact, Clothing Please has shared ESME’s schematics and intellectual property with clothing bin operators worldwide. This open-access initiative empowers other organisations to adopt the technology, enhancing safety standards on a global scale and ensuring that donation bins everywhere offer help, not harm.

Mark Keay, Clothing Please CEO, says: “By freely sharing ESME’s technology, we’re sending a clear message: safety should never be a barrier to helping those in need.

“We’re proud to see ESME making a difference in our community and beyond, protecting the vulnerable and fostering safer donation practices everywhere.”

Clothing Please continues to lead the way in community-focused clothing donation, committed to finding innovative solutions that prioritise public safety and provide vital support to those in need.

Credits
Agency: Wildlings
Creative Directors: Pat Lennox and Matt Wilson
Head of Art: Neil Martin
Strategy: Nicole Lennox Gray
Account Director: Alicia Gould
Account Manager: Jen Wong
Design: Garreth Bennett
Photography: David French
Video and Editing: Jack Connell
Production and Technology Partner: Romtech