If you’ve been having a big clear out then you may have lots of items that you’re not sure what to do with. When it comes to getting rid of things there are lots of options – throw away, recycle, donate, sell. One option people often go for is donating to charity shops – but is it really the right thing to do? Should you donate decluttered items to charity shops?
Should You Donate Decluttered Items To Charity Shops?
You would think the answer to this question would be a resounding ‘yes’. You get rid of stuff and the charity shop makes money for a good cause. Seems like it’s win-win right?
In all honesty though, it’s not quite as simple as that. In this post I’m going to take a look at what you should be donating to charity shops and what you can do instead.
Due to the pandemic, charity shops have been inundated with donations. But did you know for every ten bags of clothing donated to charity shops on average only one of them will have items that are good enough quality for them to resell?
Before Covid, these unsaleable clothes would be sold to developing countries and the charity would make a very, very small amount of money from them. As COVID has decimated this trade, many donated items now end up in landfill.
It also wastes volunteers’ time sorting through so many things that can’t be sold.
What Should You Donate To Charity Shops?
Of course, I’m not saying that you shouldn’t donate to charity shops, just that people in general need to be more considerate about what they are donating.
Here are some things that charity shops love for donations:
- Clothes that are brand new with tags.
- Good quality, clean clothing.
- Toys, puzzles and games that work, aren’t broken and have all of their pieces.
- Good quality books.
- Homeware and other items.
Before donating clothes especially, ask yourself whether or not you would be happy to buy that item in its current condition. If the answer is no, then you shouldn’t be donating it.
It’s also never a good idea to leave donations outside a charity shop if it’s closed as generally speaking these items then have to be donated as there’s not way to tell if animals have been around them during the night.
What Can I Do Instead of Donating Items To A Charity Shop?
There are quite a few things you can with your unwanted items instead of donating to a charity shop.
Sell – Selling your old items is a great way to make some extra cash. However, it does mean they end up hanging around your house a lot longer so if you’re in the middle of big declutter this might not be the best option.
To help things sell quickly, try grouping items into bundles and selling cheaply.
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Donate to a women’s / homeless shelter – As the items donated here don’t need to be good enough to resell, the don’t need to be in quite such good condition although they do still need to be usable and clean.
Give away for free – Facebook Marketplace is your friend when it comes to giving things away for free. I usually find free offerings are gone within a couple of hours. If you don’t want the hassle of waiting around for someone to turn, leave things outside of your house with a sign saying free to collector.
Reuse / Upcycle – Before getting rid of things, see if they can be Upcycled or reused around your home. For example, old t-shirts can be used as dish clothes or dusters.
This post is part of my #DeclutteringChallenge – read the other posts here:
Should You Hire A Professional Declutterer?
