There's this bin right across the street from my apartment building. Its purpose is to collect second-hand clothes, and I happily toss a sealed plastic bag in every couple months. But I've never looked into the organization that does the collection.

In Leiden, anyway, many of the second-hand clothes bins are run by KICI. KICI, whose full name in Dutch is Stichting Kleding Inzameling Charitatieve Instellingen (in English, roughly Foundation for Charitable Clothing Collection) has been in the business of collecting clothing for more than 35 years. KICI collects from municipalities using those familiar green containers and also through door-to-door collection.

Each year, KICI collects more than 9.5 million pounds of textiles, making it one of the largest charity collectors in the Netherlands. They also make an effort to reuse and recycle used clothing, and any profits made through these initiatives go to charity. The Dutch Red Cross is the main beneficiary of KICI.

So next time you pass a green bin with KICI's logo on it, you'll know a little bit more about where your second-hand clothing goes.