A proper guide to rehoming, selling and recycling your stuff
I will be honest with you. The number of people who either never start decluttering, or who get halfway through, then sit with bags and piles for weeks, because they don’t know what to do with it all. The “but where does it all go?” stops more declutters in their tracks than anything else.
Even when people do get going, most think the only options are Vinted or a charity shop. Which are both great, but they are just two options in a much longer list. So this is that list. Category by category, so you can pick what works for you and actually get it out of the door.
You don’t need to use all of these. Just having a few go to options for each category, which means you will stop overthinking it and start moving things on
Clothes
This is where most people start and there are genuinely loads of options depending on how much time and effort you want to put in.
Sell
Vinted – Free to list, easy to use and great for everyday high street pieces. Good if you enjoy the process www.vinted.co.uk
Thrift+ – You send a bag, they do the listing. Takes the admin completely out of it www.thrift.plus
Depop – Better for vintage, quirky or younger audience pieces. Also free to list www.depop.com
Vestiaire Collective – Worth it for anything designer or luxury. You can sell yourself or use their consignment service www.vestiairecollective.com
Facebook Marketplace – Good for bundles, local collection or anything you just want gone quickly www.facebook.com/marketplace
Donate
Anglo Doorstep Collection – Book online and they collect bags of clothes and household items directly from your door. Free, easy and they donate proceeds to charity www.anglodoorstepcollections.co.uk
Mint Velvet RE-LOVED – Post your unwanted Mint Velvet pieces back and get up to £25 store credit. Free postage via Evri www.mintvelvet.com/pages/reloved
Charity shops and Hospices – Most will collect good quality, clean clothes. British Heart Foundation and Oxfam both accept donations by post too.
Recycle
M&S, John Lewis, H&M – All run clothing recycling schemes and will give you a voucher in return. Great for anything too worn to donate.
Turtle Doves – A lovely one for cashmere specifically. They recycle old pieces into new ones and send you a £15 voucher in return www.turtle-doves.co.uk/page/our-story/cashmere-recycling-scheme
Bras
A category a lot of people don’t think about. There are some really worthwhile places these can go.
Smalls for All – Accept lightly worn bras in good condition and send them to women and girls overseas who do not have access to them www.smallsforall.org
Against Breast Cancer – Accept bras in any condition by post or via local bra banks. Find your nearest using their postcode finder. Every kilogram collected raises funds for their research www.againstbreastcancer.org.uk/recycling/bra-recycling
Bravissimo – Drop off in store and they donate to Coppafeel for every kilogram received www.bravissimo.com
Shoes
Most charity shops will take good quality pairs, but these are worth knowing about too.
Sell
Vinted and eBay – Both work well for shoes in good condition, particularly branded or barely worn pairs.
Donate/Recycle
Sals Shoes – Specifically for outgrown children’s shoes. They distribute them around the world. They ask for a £1 per pair contribution towards postage costs www.salsshoes.com
Nike – Will recycle old athletic shoes at any Nike store, which are broken down and used to make new materials
Clarks – Have a Shoe Share scheme supporting UNICEF – Drop any brand of old or worn shoes in Clarks, for every tonne collected, a donation goes to UNICEF www.clarks.com/en-gb/sustainability/earth-day
Jewellery & Mixed Items
Jewellery is one of those things that most people have, with a box of bits they cannot categorise (old watches, medals, coins, silverware)
Sell
Local auctioneers – For anything you think might be valuable, a local auction house will give you a realistic valuation. Some also do free events
Vintage Cash Cow – The most useful option for a mixed box of stuff you are not sure about. Send old jewellery, watches, medals, coins, silverware by free post. They value everything and make an offer. No obligation www.vintagecashcow.co.uk
Donate
Alzheimer’s Society and British Heart Foundation – Both accept jewellery donations by free post and in store.
Glasses
Most opticians will take old glasses to donate to Vision Aid Overseas, who redistribute specs to communities that need them. Just ask at your local branch.
Books
Books are the one of the things people find hardest to part with. But most of us have shelves full of things we read once and will never read again.
Sell
Sell Your Books – Scan the barcode, get a price, post them off with free postage www.sellyourbooks.co.uk
We Buy Books – Same principle with quick quote and free postage www.webuybooks.co.uk
Rare or Antique books – Specialist shops will buy or value everything unusual.
Donate
Charity shops – Most take books in good conditions. Oxfam, especially have dedicated book shops
Nurseries, schools and libraries – It’s always worth asking locally, particularly for children’s books
Toiletries and Make Up
Unopened products especially, please do not bin these. Someone could geniunely use them.
Beauty Banks – Donation bins in Superdrug stores that redistribute unused toiletries to local charities www.beautybanks.org.ik
Toiletries Amnesty – A directory of local organisations that are accepting toiletry donations. Search your area on their website www.toiletries-amnesty.org
Boots and John Lewis – Both run recycling schemes for empty make and toiletry packaging
Local night shelters and women’s refuges – A quick call ahead and most will be very grateful for anything unopened.
Broken or Damaged Items
Before you bin something broken, it is worth asking whether it can be fixed. Repair cafes are community events where volunteers fix all kinds of things for free or small donation. Clothing, electricals, toys and more.
Find your nearest repair cafe by searching repaircafe.org to find your local one. In Kent, there are cafes in Canterbury, Gravesend, East Malling and new ones are popping up all the time www.repaircafe.org
If if can be fixed, you can then decide whether to keep it, sell it or donate it. It is worth the trip before something goes to landfill.
Mobile Phones and Tech
Old phones and gadgets sitting in a drawer are either money or someone else’s opportunity. Usually both.
Sell
eBay – Still the best for phones, consoles and tech if you are happy to list and post www.ebay.co.uk
Music Magpie – They quote you a price upfront before you send anything, which is much less faff than listing yourself www.musicmagpies.co.uk
Mazuma Mobiles – Same principle, specifically for phones and tablets www.mazumamobile.com
Donate
Local laptop schemes – Many areas have community initiatives that refurbish old laptops for children who need them for schools. Worth a Google to find yours.
DVDs, CDs and Games
Sell
Music Magpie – They offer free postage and a quote, which is the easiest way to shift a pile quickly www.musicmagpie.co.uk
We Buy Games – Specifically for video games. Scan the barcode, get a price and post for free www.webuygames.co.uk
Donate
Charity shops – Some still take DVDs and CDs in good condition.
DDC Media – A recycling service for VHS tapes specifically, so they do not end up in landfill.
Old/Foreign Currency
Holiday money and old coins lurking in a drawer are more useful that you think. Leftover currency buys most unwanted notes
Leftover Currency buys most unwanted foreign bank notes www.leftovercurrency.com
The Post Office exchanges many foreign currencies
UNICEF and the Red Cross both sometimes run foreign coin collections
Bedding and Fabric
Donate
Dunelm – Run a textile takeback scheme in store for clean bedding, towels and duvets www.dunelm.com
Animal shelters are often grateful for old blankets and towels in any condition, but worth calling ahead first.
Textile Recycling Banks – In most supermarket car parks and council recycling centres for anything too worn to donate.
Anglo Doorstep Collection also collects bedding and towels alongside clothing www.anglodoorstepcollections.co.uk
DIY & Tools
Donate
Tools with a Mission collect hand and electric tools, refurbish them and redistribute globally to support livelihoods. This also includes sewing machines too www.twam.co.uk
Community RePaint – a Dulux sponsored scheme that redistributes leftover paint to people and charities who need it www.communityrepaint.org.uk
Freegle and Freecycle are perfect for cables, chargers and anything a neighbour might use.
Furniture and White Goods
Big items do not have to mean a trip to the tip.
Sell
Gymstock will collect and pay for gym equipment in good working order, and may take older items for recycling.
Facebook Marketplace and Freegle are good for anything that just needs to go, as someone local will almost always want it.
Donate
British Heart Foundation and Sue Ryder both offer free collection for furniture, electricals and white goods in a good condition.
Heart of Kent Hospice – if you email photos to their transport team and they will arrange free collection if they can take it.
Necessary Furniture – A Canterbury based charity that collect and redistribute furniture and homeware free of charge to people who need it www.necessaryfurniture.org.uk
Pilgrims Hospices run a furniture collection service across east Kent www.pilgrimshospice.org
Emmaus are a national charity with local branches offering furniture collection. Search your nearest at www.emmaus.org.uk
Medication
Out of date or unused medication should aways go back to a pharmacy. While you are doing it, check you actually have the essentials in date for when you do need them. A medicine drawer audit is one of those small jobs that are really worth doing it..
If you are ready to get into it and want some support, maybe just start with one drawer and one category from this list.
