Do you throw toys and clothing away?

[painfullyshywhy]

I give everything to the charity shop or ask around or try to sell online (but that is so time consuming I don't bother anymore unless the item is brand new with tags) and I just can't stand the thought of good stuff being chucked in the bin.

Now, my parents are serial thrower away-ers eyeroll and my younger sister actually threw away a massive bag of fairly trendy clothing including a cardigan that my mum thought I had borrowed and she had given me a real telling off for losing it. I never borrowed it dsis had nicked it and then thrown it away instead of giving it back to dmum who lives with her! she could have put it outside her bedroom door but instead she black bagged it ready for the tip!
My old lego sets were all dumped even though I asked if I could have them for my kids when my siblings were too old for them. The same with my old guitars which I tried to bring home but was stopped because dsis wanted to learn. dumped mere weeks later.
Why do they do this?
I just can't understand why someone would throw away good stuff especially when people have shown an interest in having it! especially your own child or grandchildren!

It makes me so mad!

Another relative asked if I wanted any clothes for ds and dd as they are having a sort through. I said yes ill come to pick the bags up on xxx day. got there and they had thrown them in the bin as bin day is Tuesday and you said you'd come on Wednesday.
just tell me! or don't tell me because now I know a big black bag of good clothes are rotting in landfill instead of being reused.

I see bin bags of good stuff and toys being thrown out on my street daily. (everyone uses a little green area as a dumping ground and the council collects every 4 weeks or so) and I just don't have the space to save it all!

The cost of some things, to throw it in the bin, sometimes not even used... it blows my mind! I don't know how people can do it.

I know I sound preachy but it just feels cruel. my family know how much it upsets me, and its like they revel in telling me what they've thrown away.
The kicker is that they have about 6 charity shops and a shelter to pass before they get to the dump. and I have said I will come and get whatever you're throwing away and take it to the charity shop or give to friends children who are the same age or have xxx interests.
I don't understand it. this is more of a rant but. I needed to get it off my chest before I ring my parents up and explode!

We were gifted loads of second hand stuff and it's been worn by both kids and very gratefully so.

When we tried to sell them, you couldn't give the stuff away. People seem to want to pay more for new Primark than second hand Next (or such like) and all the items we were selling were immaculate.

I'd never sell on ebay as it seems far too much hassle to be honest.

We are lucky that our local charity shop will take things happily (they will sell clothes they can't sell for rag so they will make money anyway).

Toys? Majority have been played with hard and really can't be sold or charity shopped.

Happycat some charity shops do collect. You just have to ring and ask. Or don't you have time for that either.
Also does your school not do Xmas/summer fayres where they have secondhand toy/book/clothes stalls? Maybe you could suggest they do. You don't have to run it - just suggest it if they don't do it already.

The only stuff that gets binned are things that are broken/worn out/unusable that I know I couldn't give away for free. I also bin things like Kinder Egg toys and Happy Meal tat that that no one would want.

I would feel awful throwing away perfectly good/usable stuff! If I can't give it away it goes to charity.

I almost never throw stuff away!

Clothes and toys to the charity shop, or to someone I know who had said they’d like it.

Pants obviously go in the bin, or anything that’s ruined.

My exh was/ is such a one for chucking stuff! He chucks stuff people still want too, and likes to put the thing beyond repair first so that it can’t be claimed back or passed on.

Our school does rag type collections - clothes for recycling the fabric etc

Give to family/friends/school mums, charity shop/charity bins, sell, leave out front with "free" on, Freecycle, recyle...so many options other than landfill. I didn't know about the rags thing, but just put textiles in a bag ontop of our black glass recycling and they take it away. Animal charities take old duvets don't they? A local woman takes brightly coloured plastic which she mixes with cement to make various things. Yes ultimately some things need to be binned, but I don't understand how people don't even try to.

I am genuinely shocked and saddened by how many lazy, selfish and irresponsible people there are on here We barely throw anything away, if it’s usable it gets given away via social or a charity shop and if it’s not, it gets recycled if at all possible. Even holey socks are washed and put in the rag bag for the local charity shop to sell.

There are some great apps for giving away stuff now.

Olio and Trash Nothing, I have yet to find a thing that someone didn't want on one or the other of those!

I don't sell stuff. I can't be arse. I give lots away on free cycle (non clothing) rest goes to charity shop. Damages clothes go to textile recycling.

Honesty I couldn't not. I think if I'm going to buy it then it's my responsibility to dispose of it properly. The pp who said it goes in the tip as its too much faf. Well that's the responsibility and potential for faff you take on if you consume things as far as I'm concerned.

The way your family act would drive me nuts. So selfish.

@Sparklybanana

Facebook marketplace. If it's good I'll try and sell it but otherwise I just offer it for really cheap or free and run the gauntlet of timewasters. I've gotten rid of a lot of the kids things this way and made back enough to pay for the kids clubs. I hate, hate, hate throwing away things, and even more so if they still have life in them. Someone will usually want them - even marked bibs and old muslins. IMO, it's definitely worth trying. We did take a bag of stained or torn textiles to the recylcing centre and I still feel guilty even though they should be recycled as opposed to dumped.

See this is why throwing it away makes me so upset. When I had my first and second I was Ssooooo hard up. I was desperately searching for muslin cloths and bibs (stained or ripped i don't care) because my baby was literally soqking his clothes through in minutes and I couldn't afford to buy them from asda even for the £3/£4 they were charging at the time. I remember actually crying because he had wet all of his clothes and I had run out while his little grows were drying on the rack. I had to put the heating on because it was cold and also to dry his clothes faster so I could dress him

I also remember when the neighbours threw loads of toys and games in a skip. all the kids came running in massive hoards to get what they could. We weren't allowed out to get anything but we soon realised that they were our toys (one was my favourite old stuffed Teddy which I still miss and some of my favourite books which were tattered only from me reading over and over and over)
I was devastated (but now I'm glad that the stuff was saved from the skip.)

I know I sound preachy but is it really preachy to tell your own father that you want your old things for your children when your younger siblings are done with it? and being upset by it.

I have thrown away broken toys and stuff. Stained clothes are cut up into rags (infact my favourite set of dishcloths are my daughters baby trousers- they suck up grease better than any spnge I've ever brought ) and stuffing for cushions etc.
I have also had the charity shop rejection (which cuts deeply) but the wardrobe they wouldn't take because of slight damage was taken outside and it was gone before I could find the sellotape to tape a 'free' sign up to it.
It had to be replaced for a bigger one.

I mean I don't drive, I have taken a carrier bag and dropped it off when I've gone past or I've called up and they collect as long as you have over 10 bags or something. which is great for a clear out.
But I do live in a city and so have hundreds to chose from.

it just worries me that the value of an item disappears as soon as it leaves a shop

I think there is a group/ type/ class of person - however you want to term it - who just loves throwing things away!

Hence the people who throw stuff they know is wanted, and the woman who cut up her clothes before chucking, a bit like my exh who would make sure stuff sat out in the rain first, or ripped things up.

Almost a mental disorder- like hoarding but the opposite.

I often resort to throwing these kinds of things away.

Many charity shops are very picky with what they accept in my area. And so are people which is of course their prerogative. When we moved I sorted through the kids clothes, toys and books. Took them to many charity shops that refused to take everything. Some only wanted books, other clothes. No one accepted toys. Then I took a few pictures and advertised on Facebook and freecycle. What didn't go went in the bin.

I tried my best but it just didn't work.

I give my friend any clothing I think she’d like for her younger daughter. Anything else and toys, i charity shop
Any unwearable clothing, i bag up as rags, as our charity shop sells them on
I have sold stuff on specialist Facebook groups (Frugi, etc), but to be honest, it’s not worth the stress!

I can’t bear to throw usable stuff away, it’s so wasteful

My grandma was too kind for her own good and gave all her treasures away. Mostly to my parents. Vintage clothes, 1920s glass and vases, gorgeous complete works of Shakespeare... But my parents are serial throw away-ers too. I don't have anything to remember her by that I would have actually chosen or that has any meaning.

When I went backpacking I packed up my apartment and gave a huge box to my parents to pass on to my sister. She never got it. My parents either sold it for pennies at the carboot or binned it.
Now I don't like throwing things away and DH has to remind me not to be a hoarder lol.

I live literally opposite the dump, and I go out of my way to sell/donate anything useable by any means before resorting to throwing things away, even if it means cycling 20 minutes into town to get to a charity shop. I take pride in making sure things are clean and work well before I pass them on. I've bought so many things for my children second hand, shame it's getting more difficult to find things that fit them in the style they'd like/suits them as they get older. Anything that can be repurposed inside the house or garden stays until we've had maximum use out of it. Cannot stand throwing out perfectly good stuff.

Another good tip is if you offer things for free you will have a certain amount of time wasters.

Offer something on Gumtree etc for a nominal amount £5 etc and you will get people who will turn up.

Tried and tested!

Yep, I'm with you on this. Although the doorstep charity bags seem to do well around us.
I either charity shop or offer on local freebie FB site. Very occasionally use eBay/marketplace. I only bin broken things.
Over the last 12mths a primary school PTA in our town has been collecting unwanted good condition clothing, books, toys etc. and have run a FB Charity shop. They announced this week they have raised £10,000!

Honesty I couldn't not. I think if I'm going to buy it then it's my responsibility to dispose of it properly. The pp who said it goes in the tip as its too much faf. Well that's the responsibility and potential for faff you take on if you consume things as far as I'm concerned

Totally agree. It infuriates me how many people either don’t know or don’t care how damaging our throwaway culture is to the planet, and by extension those most vulnerable to the effects of climate change.

YANBU. I feel terribly guilty taking stuff to the tip that has to go in the non-recyclable stuff even if it’s completely broken.

Absolute madness to not even send to charity clothing that won’t be worn.

I either sell or donate 95% of old toys or clothing

Any broken plastic toys go in the plastic recycling box

Only thing I throw out are broken and non recyclable things and old underwear

YANBU.

I have had success giving stuff away on the Olio app. Not just for food. Excellent for stuff that could be useful to someone eg packing boxes, unused paint, old bedding, etc.

@Ilovemaisie

OP you should figure out what the re sale value of your old Lego would be (Lego secondhand market is huge) and send the bill to your sister. Or say you are reporting her for theft. (Ok - extreme measures but might make her stop and think)

@Ilovemaisie I did check on ebay and it ranged from 200-300 I was gutted because I had only left it because she wanted it. My children wanted it too but I thought 'she only has another year or so of childhood interests- mine can wait. I can't afford to replace that even secondhand.

I did go mad to be honest, I actually left and cried. It doesn't matter thought because they think I am just trying to save money or something.

My nan once picked up a baby t-shirt that was dropped and dirty, brought it home, washed it and dried it and gave it to me. She said she thought I could use it and it was a waste. She also listened and got my dd stuff from charity shops when I told her I'd prefer that.

My Dc and Dd were really shook up by our planet (we couldn't even finish it) and they were really into second hand, no plastic if we can help it, and litter picking etc etc etc so not only does it upset me but I've passed on my fear and upset to my children. Which is half good and half bad because I find myself upset daily by the sheer amount of waste poisoning our environment (not using a broad term here i am actually talking about local environment effecting me and my family personally- like the local dumping ground attracting rats and foxes love the foxes to our door) it is upsetting.
I have joined a local area group on Facebook and it is full of people complaining and taking photos of fly tipping in our local area with the odd lost keys post.
I do blame the shops not the people. Things are sold so cheaply and made so badly that it is no wonder people don't see value in a brand new primark coat.
and I'm so sorry about your lps . I feel your pain. its something you can't get over because if it was sold then at least they are acknowledging the value. but throwing in a bin just says 'i am a selfish see you next Tuesday'
and they are!

Are you me? I hate throwing perfectly good things away and I have a sister who will just chuck anything in the bin. She just buys brand new stuff constantly and throws away nearly-new clothes and toys. I've offered to take the stuff to the charity shop for her but she won't donate it and I don't understand it

I try really hard not to throw away things that are still useful. Anything in really good condition gets sold or donated. Clothes that are stained or damaged get used for cleaning cloths or sent to textile recycling. I hate dumping stuff that someone could use.

Nope, barely at all. And we get a lot of our stuff second hand to begin with. Toys that are broken and beyond repair go in the bin. Otherwise they get passed on to friends or just left outside on the wall and people take them. Clothes go to friends, charity shop or the fabrics bin in the recycling area.