When we think about donating, we think of the charity shop. Actually, we tend to think of the nearest or most convenient charity shop—but different stores will take different items, so there’s no need to limit ourselves to one. Donations don’t need to be limited to charity shops, either. We can give items away to community groups, organizations, and neighbors—and they’ll often take things charity shops might not. You’ll be surprised what it’s possible to give a new home. Charity shops get a huge number of donations every day—far more than they can handle. We aren’t doing charity shops a favor by giving them our stuff: They are doing us a favor by taking it. The best thing we can do is donate only high-quality, well-made, and desirable items to charity shops. Before deciding to donate anything to the charity shop, ask yourself if you genuinely think that someone will walk into the shop and buy the item. If you’d be happy to use it yourself (if you needed it, of course!) or lend it to a friend or family member, then you can donate with a clear conscience. If items are not up to scratch, don’t just throw them away; you will still be able to give them away…just not here. You might think no one would be interested in old cardboard toilet roll tubes, but actually, there’s a thriving trade on eBay among hobbyists. Donating one loo roll tube isn’t going to attract much interest, but a whole box of them might be of use to gardeners or crafters. The same goes for almost anything in large enough amounts. It might be quite hard to donate two glass jars, but if you have three boxes of them, suddenly that’s worth the effort for someone who makes jam to come and collect. One magazine might not pique anyone’s interest, but an entire back catalog could. The bottom line is, don’t recycle it until you’ve checked no one wants it! Here are a few places to do so: The trick is to figure out what they really need. Have a casual conversation and find out if there are things they would find useful, and only offer those. How far you take the quest to donate your unwanted and unneeded stuff is up to you. It will require extra time, and extra effort, and depends totally on your commitment to zero waste, and the energy you have to spare. It doesn’t matter if pursuing some of these avenues is too much for you. But if you’re someone who hangs on to everything (even broken stuff because you’re determined not to waste it), this is your opportunity to find homes for things that you don’t need and let them go. cristina.org: Works to promote technology reuse by connecting nonprofit organizations and schools with donors. Their website has a database enabling people with used electronics to find local charities and schools looking for donations of these items. freethegirls.org: A nonprofit organization working with sex-trafficking survivors in El Salvador, Mozambique, and Uganda. They accept donations of new and gently used bras of all sizes and styles, including camisoles, via their drop-off locations or by mail. worldcomputerexchange.org: A nonprofit organization that accepts donations of computers and other electronics and passes them on to those in need. Since 2000, they have donated to more than 3,350 schools, youth centers, libraries, and universities in 48 countries. givenow.com.au: An online giving platform listing over 4,000 organizations, which accept donated items for reuse, including bicycles, household goods, clothing, stationery, and electronics. refugeecouncil.org.au/donating-goods: While it does not accept donations itself, the Refugee Council of Australia hosts a database of charities accepting donations (and lists what they will and won’t accept) in each state, as well as contact details should you wish to inquire directly with a particular organization. upliftbras.org: A registered charity that collects new and secondhand bras, fabric nappies, and swimwear and redistributes them wherever they have requests, whether in Australia or overseas. smallsforall.org: A registered Scottish charity that accepts donations of new underwear and new or gently used bras in any size (excluding cropped-top or bikini tops) and donates them to women and children in Africa. freecycle.org: A nonprofit organization that coordinates a worldwide network of “gifting” groups to divert usable goods from landfill. Freecycle currently has a presence in 121 countries. littlefreelibrary.org: A nonprofit organization that fosters neighborhood book exchanges around the world with more than 75,000 micro libraries in 88 countries. These libraries can take small numbers of donated books for others to read and enjoy. olioex.com: A mobile app for food sharing, currently used in 32 countries. Donated food can be raw or cooked, sealed or open, but it must be edible and within its use-by date; the primary guideline is that it is “good enough for you.” streetbank.com: Described as a movement of people who share with their neighbors, Streetbank (which began in 2010) allows users to choose the size of their neighborhood (1, 5, or 10 miles) to give stuff away, share things, and share skills. transitionnetwork.org: Founded in 2006, this worldwide network of community groups and projects aims to increase self-sufficiency within local communities. An excellent first stop when looking to find out more information about community groups and services in your local area. trashnothing.com: This website and app work like a custom inbox for various freecycling groups. Emails are diverted here rather than all being directed to your personal email. A useful tool to segregate your decluttering efforts from day-to-day emails. Excerpted with permission from Less Stuff by Lindsay Miles, published by Hardie Grant August 2019, RRP $19.99 Flexibound.
