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Donate Your Unwanted Xmas Presents

Christmas has come and gone, so you’re probably sifting through piles of stuff that either needs a place in your home or needs to find a new one. Of course, we all get so much at this time of year with not everything being needed, so what do you do with unwanted Christmas gifts? Donate, of course!

Whether it’s socks from Aunties and Uncles, bath and shower goodies from Granny, or electrical items from partners, charities are the perfect place to re-gift all of those unwanted presents. According to a recent article by Money Saving Expert, this year there will be 60 million unwanted presents this Christmas that others could make use of as gifts or simply for themselves.

Donate Your Christmas Gifts – Guilt-Free

Most of us have given to charity following a spring clean or because our cupboards are overflowing, but you don’t just have to donate pre-loved items. If there are items that are going to sit in drawers, then why hang on to them? Giving to a good cause means you can pass on your unwanted items guilt free; win-win!

Giving away unwanted presents early means that any items can be resold rather than being disposed of, in turn cutting down waste which is hit hard at this time of year. Post-Christmas celebrations have a huge impact on the environment and statistics for 2017 predicted 450,00 buses worth of waste would be discarded including unwanted presents as well as;

  • Christmas Trees
  • Cards Wrapping paper/packaging

We can all make smaller impacts by reducing the waste we put in a landfill, simply by taking to the local high street and re-stocking shop windows.

How Does Re-Gifting Help?

Stock levels for charity shops can last for weeks, sometimes months, with unwanted gift donations, in turn helping to generate profits to keep charity shops open to drive research, services and support for vital services. There are some charities, such as ourselves, that don’t receive government funding, meaning that keeping our shops stocked is vitally important for growth and day to day running of services.

Giving away high-quality products can make the world of difference even to the biggest charity and those gifts which you may not want, need or like can fill someone else’s life with joy, let alone those that are touched by the proceeds that are made from the sale. There’s no end to what is benefited from donating high-quality goods. The environmental impact, the charity itself and of course, the person who gains from a new item, are all affected for the greater good by what you can give.

Which Unwanted Christmas Gifts Can I Give Away?

Despite the rumours, charity shops want quality items for the best chance of reselling. Broken, stained or damaged goods are not going to resell and a good charity shop wouldn’t want to! But there’s so much that you can donate, possibly more than you thought

Electrical Items

Had a new hairdryer from Santa? The latest straighteners? Or even a brand new phone? You can donate all of these to use as long as they are in proper working order. Our mobile phone reuse scheme cleanses all of the data for you so nothing personal is left on these and, although these aren’t sold in a store, they can be passed on to help us raise more funds.

Any electrical items donated to us are tested prior to entering our shop floor, so a future buyer can rest assured they are safe and sound. Of course, if you’ve got new items that you simply don’t need or want, then please donate rather than adding to a landfill.

Hats, Shoes and everything in between.

Clothes are the biggest source of what most charity shops receive, but that doesn’t mean we don’t want any more! Whether you’ve got another Xmas jumper, a party dress that you bought on a whim and can’t return, or new shoes that are just that bit too small, they are always wanted. High-quality clothes are imperative to shops, and many charities will have drop-off banks that make this even easier; you can find a list of our drop off points here.

Simply bag up your stuff, make sure shoes are together and pop in your nearest bank and the rest is taken care of.

Toiletries and Bathroom Bits

Let us face it, it’s the go-to present when someone is tricky to buy for, but that doesn’t mean it’s always well received.  Maybe it’s that you don’t have a bath to enjoy a bath bomb, or perhaps you’re sensitive to perfumed creams and lotions, whatever the reason, don’t through gift sets away!

Most of them this time of year are packaged beautifully and are appealing for other shoppers that can use them.

Knick Knacks and Stocking Stuffers

If your Secret Santa’s present wasn’t very ‘you’, or there are multiple items in a gifted stocking for the kids, then you know what to do! It’s sometimes the smaller gifts that take up the most room, especially when they accumulate from neighbours, colleagues and friends, so make sure you get down to the local high street and give someone else the benefit.

With boxing day sales bringing in the high street crowds, charities can benefit massively from eager-eyed shoppers looking for new and exciting items. Many people spend the time preparing for the year ahead, so give them the gift of Christmas for the next few years!

So, how do I donate Christmas presents to charity?

There are many ways to get your goods to charity shops or for online sales. We have a number of recycling banks across the country that accept clothing, shoes and specific toy banks for good quality toys that just need a new home. You can search for your nearest bank with our bank locater.

We also use ClickSit; a free postage option that allows you to send your items to use for free in 3x easy steps;

  • Fill a box with all your items
  • Scan the QR code or visit ClickSit direct to get your free postage label.
  • Then simply pop to your nearest Collect+ point and drop off.

Of course, the last option is to visit one of our stores. You can find your nearest shop with our store locater and simply arrange a drop off of your items.