How do we feel about clothing donation bins?

[reddaisyandcake]

I've always bagged up clothes and put them in the donation bins, like salvation army ones in the supermarket car park. But today I was told they dont go to charity shops anymore, they're weighed in and recycled.

This is good, but I've been putting in clothing still with labels that just doesn't fit assuming they'd be in a charity shop for someone else to enjoy.

I dont know why, as its all to a good cause, but I feel a kind of way about it. I genuinely didn't know and thought it was the way to donate clothing.

How do you pass on good quality unworn clothing? (I havent the energy for Vinted!)

Take them to a charity shop. Look on the Decluttering threads in Housekeeping for more ideas.

I got my entire maternity wardrobe from asking o my neighbourhood Facebook group where I could get maternity clothes. Honestly just post that you have clothes to give away with pics or take them to the local charity shop.

I wait until they are relevant - eg. Ds's outgrown winter coat and gloves. I wash them, check zips & linings and then take them into the local Cancer research shop in December when the first cold weather is forecast. They're usually sold by the end of the day.

I've just taken them last year's outgrown shorts, cotton shirts, a couple of sweatshirts, flip-flops, swimming trunks and rather cool straw hat.

Or I put a note out on our village Facebook page, first come, first served.

The only clothing that goes in the Sally bins is unwearable IE socks, torn stuff etc as I always assumed it was a rag bank, not for resale or use.

Yes, I thought the opposite but was informed today. I had no idea. A few years ago I took items direct to a charity shop and they said they get too many donations, since then I've always used the drop off bins.

I'll perhaps try again direct to shops.

Im not on FB so dont use marketplace

I've never used them, they always seem to be overflowing and I assumed they were shipped off for ragging. I take mine to the charity shops or clothes bank, rags bagged up and labelled for the charity shop.

There's a clothing bank that specifically collects clothes from people to give to people who can't afford clothes. That's near us.

Otherwise charity shops. I've got lovely clothes my child grows out of so I always like someone else to have use

I give good quality clothes to the charity shop. Clothes with holes or stains go in the donation bin as I assume that they will be recycled.

I have an FB page with no friends just to use Marketplace and a local Give & Take page.

I photograph and list all charity donations and they are collected usually within the hour. It’s so much easier than going to charity shops, most of whom don’t even want donations now as you said and it feels like they’re going to people who really need them.

That's a good idea, I might go anonymous just for this reason. Ive been ruthless and had a good clear out, if it doesn't fit or hasn't been worn its out. I felt good about passing on some really nice things I thought others might like, and then realising everything would just be weighed in and destroyed changed my mind!

Is it also the same with shoes in the shoe bins? I dont know why, I always assumed they'd be reused.

Anglo doorstep collections and other similar organisations collect good quality items ( not just clothes) for free and split between charity shops

Thankyou

This is what happens to a lot of clothes that go to recycling banks or the rag trade. Disgusting.

Ah! I have just copied that ready to post it.
Anglo Doorstep Collections - Charity Collections

who told you that the clothes you put in the sally army bins dont go into charity shops?
im not sure thats correct.

the clothes sell for very little money if sold by weight. Much more if sold as clothes. The salvation army provides and pays for the receptacle and vans collecting clothes.
they therefore need to get top dollar to make a profit. Why would they not want to sell the saleable items and sell the rest by weight for rags/recycling? im guessing:

sold as 20 skirts at £3 each £60.
sold as rags £5 by weight.

it makes no sense not to sell for the max? some womt get sold as not good enough but as long as some do…?

As I understand it, Anglo is a private company that sells the donated items, mostly overseas. Their website states that 60% of the proceeds goes to selected charities. It’s hard to find out how much they actually make as their accounts are overdue!

Omg don't.... so all this time is thought i was doing good and I havent been

There are 2 bins side by side locally to me
One is for wearable clothing and the other is for recyclable fabrics. They are both owned and emptied by the same organisation.

So Anglo isn't ideal either?

If you’ve got good quality stuff give it directly to the charity shop.

the bins - even if they shop receives the garments they have to pay a cut for them. Same with collection bags through your door.

if your motivation is to benefit the charity then donate direct. And don’t forget to gift aid.

A few years ago I took items direct to a charity shop and they said they get too many donations
Ask if they take things before taking them. I asked and they said if I had a lot (e.g. several bin bags full + boxes of books) to take them to their warehouse-sized branch in a nearby town.

Nearby town store is only about 3 miles further than the local one in my case.

It was a friend, I said it needed to drop off some bags and they said they won't be re used but they would be recycled. I had bags of new or almost new clothing and it got me thinking if this was common knowledge or not, as I had no idea.

Although feedback on this thread is making me question my decisions, thinking im doing good but possibly not as I imagined.

I’ve found their accounts now under a different company number. I also found an article where the owners say that everything is shipped overseas and clothing sorted by season, eg summer clothes go to Africa.

Good shout, that would save a wasted journey too

Do you think they all just get put in the same van and mixed up anyway no matter which bin you choose