To be so surprised at what people throw away

[Soubriquet]

My dh works at the local tip. Actually he commutes between two local ones on days he’s needed.

They are allowed to help themselves to stuff to bring home. He has come home with some amazing things. Dvds still sealed. Teddies with tags. Furniture in excellent condition. He’s even bought home ornaments that are in pristine condition.

Some of it is valuable. Some not so much.

Our local tips and bulk waste collection services have ways to identify things like furniture, electrical and paints as still being in useable condition so they can be collected by affiliated services who donate them to people who need them. It's really good, I called the council about a bike DD no longer needed and the next day it was picked up and taken off to be given to someone who needs a bike. The council also have a service where up to 5 bulky items and 15 bags of garden waste can be collected Free of charge every 2 months.

I do always try to give to a charity shop or advertise on gum tree or similar, but our local charity shops are often overrun with donations and say they’re not taking any more at the moment, and gumtree etc are full of time wasters. I guess that’s why people end up just taking things to the tip.

We used to leave things outside with a sign saying ‘free’ but now we live somewhere without neighbours or people passing by much so that doesn’t work.

I don’t drive so no I won’t be lugging things around to charity shops, if you put things outside around here you will get into trouble. I haven’t got time for free sites too many time wasters would rather chuck it

That seems like a heck of a lot of excuses. Charity shops can collect items, I'm sure friends would happily drop them off for you if asked, you won't get in trouble for putting items outside your house with a free sign and it doesn't matter if you don't have time wasters, it's beyond selfish to just chuck usable stuff away! Honestly the mentality of some people is very self centered no wonder our planet is fucked.

My local tip doesn't have a recycling section, which is a shame - my dad's one does and we've got all sorts of interesting things from there over the years. I've seen so much good stuff dumped at my tip, it's criminal.

Someone I used to know was a serious clothes-shopaholic, but only if they were really cheap in the sales. She ended up with piles of brand new, unworn clothes over much of the house. Her dh got fed up and one day carted a whole load of them - new!! - to the tip. He couldn’t be bothered to take them to a charity shop.
TBH I was incandescent when she told me.

I just hope someone managed to save and dish them out elsewhere.

I don’t care I will still be chucking it!

The problem is…. There are good reasons for that.

@MaxwellCat if you don’t drive how are you getting your unwanted stuff to the tip?

Well I don’t either. Too ill for that and ill beep the little energy i have for more valuable things to do.

Clothes: we are forever told it has be ‘in good condition’ whatever that means
Giving for free= time wasters and rude/entitled people
Table outside= 1- you need a table and 2- the energy and time to set it up

The one thing we’ve always contacted the Heart foundation is furniture because they are extremely helpful and you know when it has been sold, fur how much etc….

Oh yes I forgot the grumpy people working in the charity shop who are deeply unhappy to see you arriving with a pile if stuff. Because they are over run with them, items often unsuitable/won’t be bought (because how will you know?) etc….

Our local recycling centre used to have a 'take if you like' area (and I completely agree, OP, it's amazing what people will throw away), but it disappeared during Covid and has never reappeared, unfortunately: I found a really good chest of drawers there once.

Nobody will take bulkier items off you so I’m not surprised.

I'd love if all tips would take stuff for recycling rather than just dumping. I have often had to dump stuff at the tip as I couldn't find anyone or a charity shop who would take it and I really don't want to be selling it - having my contact details out there or people coming to my house

I'd love it if people didn't buy so much in the first place!

People like you give me the fucking rage. Why do you think you have no responsibility to do the right thing? You do realise your lazy actions impact on everyone else? There are so many ways to pass on stuff responsibly, there is literally no excuse.

As others have said it is a lot more difficult to get rid of large items without access to a car.

@Motnight yes but the OP was talking about what her husband finds at “the tip”. You can’t get to the tip unless you have a car. If you can get to the tip - you can get to a charity shop or even do a car boot sale.

Last time I went to the charity shop with a box of decent stuff the woman yelled at me that she didn’t have time to sort any more donations and refused to take them. The next one was fairly rude too but decided it was good enough quality so she would take it. Selling sites bring out the worst in people but I do try selling there. I currently have three perfect condition ski trousers for kids and no one wanted them all winter. Still sat in the study needing a home.

I'm also shocked at what people throw away.

Charity Shops will take clothes in bad condition. They sell them as rags and get a small amount of money for them.

I'm shocked at the things people will take home just because 'there's nothing wrong with it'.

I would rather it gets taken home and then either passed on or sold on instead of just going to landfill and rotting.

I completely agree that we should not take decent things to the tip, but the problem is too many of us have way too much stuff and we just need to stop buying new things. So many donations to charity shops will just end in the tip anyway, as they’re not good enough / fashionable enough for resale. We just really need to try to stop buying so much new stuff, if people don’t buy so much they won’t make so much and less will end up in landfill. I know it’s hard in reality, but the local apps make it easier for furniture, kids toys etc.

A lot of you would hate to see what happens when an Army regiment relocates! Charity shops can't help because of the sheer volume. Its furniture, clothing, books, toys etc...

When we left Germany there was fundraising to send several container loads to Fiji, led by the Fijian soldiers. If they hadn't done that, it would all have gone to landfill.

@Soubriquet you might sell or donate things, but lots of people simply hoard. It's rotting away just the same, just on the inside of someone's house, potentially destroying the lives of the people who have to live with all this junk.

The problem as I see it, isn't the disposal of the stuff, it's the purchase of the unecessary tat in the first place.

It's criminal what people will send to landfill rather than be arsed to sort it out for charity shops etc.

I put stuff on olio or freecycle first, one woman's junk is another woman's treasure.