Donating items – coming out of lockdown

This period of lockdown has undoubtedly been an opportunity for many of you to sort through your cupboards, attics, garages, and cellars and set aside items that are good enough to donate to your local charity shop.

As you may be aware, the current government guidelines advise that donations are left for 72 hours in a warehouse prior to being processed. This will slow down the usual donations process and will put some constraints on whether and when your local reuse charity shop will be able to accept your donation.

Please do not leave donations outside of your local charity shop or bring items without phoning ahead. Leaving donations outside the reuse charity shop creates a waste problem that is then footed by the charity.

When calling to arrange a collection, please expect health and safety questions alongside the usual item assessment questions. This will enable staff and volunteers to assess which procedure to follow and inform you of the steps to follow.

The safety and well-being of our staff, volunteers and customers is our first priority and we want to ensure all steps are put in place to allow us to operate safely.

What sort of items do you want?

We want everything (if it’s in good condition).

Our network of reuse centres can always use good quality household items that you no longer need. We’re looking for furniture, electrical appliances, IT equipment, textiles, paints, bric-a-brac and even unwanted bicycles that we can give a second chance to.

You can find your nearest Reuse Centre by using our interactive map here: https://reuse-network.org.uk/donate-items/

What condition does it need to be in?

The donations we receive are repurposed and reused for people who need them. For us to be able to pass them on, they need to be in good condition. It doesn’t need to be new, but any furniture and office equipment should be clean, free from major rips or stains and in good, usable condition.

Upholstered furniture like sofas, armchairs or mattresses must have a fire label otherwise we will not be able to accept it. We cannot pass items which we do not know are safe.

Any electrical devices should be clean, safe, have evidence of a CE mark and currently working. Bikes should be functional and working with all parts.

As a rule of thumb, ask yourself if you would use it?

What can’t you take?

Each organisation is different, so you will want to check with them when you contact them. Our service finder allows you to filter by items type so if you can simply select the type of item you have and search in your area for reuse charities that will accept it as a donation.

If you won’t take it, what can I do with it?

There are other sites where you can give your unwanted items a home. Freecycle is a popular way for people to get rid of their unwanted items. There are often local Facebook groups where you can advertise your items, and find them a new home.

We want to save as much waste as we can, but if you can’t find someone to take your unwanted items, you can take them to local waste disposal sites where they can be left. If the items are too bulky, most local authorities offer a waste collection service. For a fee, they will collect your unwanted items and dispose of them.