Don't throw it away!
A guide to passing your gently used items on.
It might be easier to simply throw things away, but it is better if we donate our gently used items. Donated items may help those in need when an organization makes your items directly available to those who need clothing, furniture or household items. Donated items may be sold by an organization, providing resources for a foundation and jobs. Reused items are kept from the landfill and may prevent people from buying something new. Ultimately helping the earth with less manufacturing resources, less environmental transportation impact, and reducing the impact on landfills.
Here are some guidelines to make your donations do the most good. Most organizations that accept your gently used goods for distribution or resale have limited space, staffing and financial resources. You want to donate what they can use, not items that will be thrown away. You don't what your donation to end up costing these organizations money or time, so please consider these
guidelines when deciding what to donate and what to throw away.
Generally speaking, your items should be gently used and in a condition that you would want to receive them for yourself or your family.
It is strongly recommended that you visit the website of the organization you plan to donate your items to before you pack up the car. It will save you from sorting through your items when you arrive and the donation spot, and save the organization from having to throw away items they cannot use or sell. (Keep in mind that these organizations, like any business, must pay for their trash.)
Here are some guidelines to make your donations do the most good. Most organizations that accept your gently used goods for distribution or resale have limited space, staffing and financial resources. You want to donate what they can use, not items that will be thrown away. You don't what your donation to end up costing these organizations money or time, so please consider these
guidelines when deciding what to donate and what to throw away.
- Clothing items should not be stained, ripped, torn, or smell dirty.
- Clothing items should be washed before donating.
- Coats should be freshly washed with working zippers and empty pockets.
- Shoes and boots should be clean, have full soles and laces. Sneakers should not have holes or be badly worn.
- Toys should be clean, safe and complete.
- Outdoor children's toys should be clean, safe and not faded by the sun.
- Games and puzzles should be complete and sealed so pieces don't fall out in transit.
- Baby furniture and equipment should not be part of a recall.
- Car seats can be donated, but many organizations cannot accept them. If you don't have a friend who needs one, check wheels for wishes.org.
- Furniture should be in working order with all pieces.
- Sheets, blankets, tablecloths, and curtains should be clean and folded - attache a piece of paper with the dimensions if you can.
Generally speaking, your items should be gently used and in a condition that you would want to receive them for yourself or your family.
It is strongly recommended that you visit the website of the organization you plan to donate your items to before you pack up the car. It will save you from sorting through your items when you arrive and the donation spot, and save the organization from having to throw away items they cannot use or sell. (Keep in mind that these organizations, like any business, must pay for their trash.)
DONATE HOUSEHOLD ITEMS & FURNITURE
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The Epilepsy Foundation New England Your donations to the Epilepsy Foundation are sold to Savers. 100% of the profit from the sale of your donated items (clothing, household items, etc.), supports the Epilepsy Foundation New England in our mission to assist individuals and families suffering from Epilepsy and seizure disorders. To see a full list of acceptable items please Click here. Still have questions? Read our FAQs document. Habitat for Humanity ReStore Habitat ReStores are home improvement stores that accept small and large donations of new or gently used furniture, appliances, housewares, building materials and more. Proceeds from the sales of these items help Habitat’s work in your community and around the world. Review their policies before you go: https://www.habitat.org/restores/donate-goods |
Household Goods Household Goods provides good quality used household furnishings free of charge to individuals and families in need. To furnish 50 homes a week, Household Goods needs a steady stream of clean, usable:
Habitat for Humanity ReStore Habitat ReStores are home improvement stores that accept small and large donations of new or gently used furniture, appliances, housewares, building materials and more. Proceeds from the sales of these items help Habitat’s work in your community and around the world. Review their policies before you go: https://www.habitat.org/restores/donate-goods |
GIVE TOYS, GAMES & PUZZLES
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Cradles to Crayons Please look in closets and drawers at home for new and like-new clothing, shoes, books, and toys that have been outgrown or replaced. By donating them to us, you can be sure they’ll be given to local children in need who will be happy to receive them. Click here to learn more: cradlestocrayons.org/ |
Savers in Nashua, NH As champions of reuse, we’re committed to keeping one-of-a-kind finds out of landfills. We know that with every thrift purchase or decluttering drop-off, you’re helping protect the planet and supporting your community. Savers will accept gently used toys, clothing, books, novelties, and household items. Read more here: www.savers.com/donate |
SEND IT IN AN AMAZON BOX
Give Back Box
Save those old Amazon boxes! Fill them with gently used items and send them to those in need! Partners of Give Back Box bear the cost of the shipping. Please donate generously. The better the quality of your donations, the more people you can help.
Learn more here: https://givebackbox.com/amazon
Save those old Amazon boxes! Fill them with gently used items and send them to those in need! Partners of Give Back Box bear the cost of the shipping. Please donate generously. The better the quality of your donations, the more people you can help.
Learn more here: https://givebackbox.com/amazon
GIVE BOOKS, CD's, DVD's & VIDEO GAMES
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More Than Words We accept gently used clothing and shoes and ALL of your books, CD’s, DVD’s, and Video Games, except for textbooks over 10 years old, encyclopedias, VHS tapes, audio cassettes, or magazines/periodicals. Learn more here: https://mtwyouth.org/donate-books/ |
Nursing Homes Some nursing homes and memory care facilities will welcome your old VHS tapes or DVD's for their residents. They might also be interested in your (functioning) DVD or VHS player. If you don't know of a nursing home or memory care facility, just post the need on Facebook or City in the Woods or do a google search to find one. |
DONATE CLOTHING & SHOES
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Second Chances Second Chances reuses and recycles clothing, shoes, and accessories so that homeless and lower-income people feel confident and valued as they take their first steps toward brighter futures and, as a community, we can minimize the amount of apparel going into local landfills. Give funds, donate clothing, or volunteer to help our neighbors in need and our planet! More information here: secondchances.org |
Dress for Success Dress for Success is a global not-for-profit organization that empowers women to achieve economic independence by providing a network of support, professional attire and the development tools to help women thrive in work and in life. Find your local affiliate here and discover how you can donate clothes, support the organization financially, get involved as a volunteer or help in other ways. If we are not operating in your community yet. More information here: dressforsuccess.org |
OFFER IT ONLINE
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Craigs List You can sell or give away your stuff on Craig's List. It is an online market place for just about everything. And it will offer your items beyond this area. Be sure to take precautions; exchange items in a public place, don't exchange items alone, only accept/give cash. Take a look: boston.craigslist.org/ |
Facebook If you're on Facebook look for local 'Nothing to Buy' pages were you can give your items away. Or find local Facebook 'Yard Sales' to sell your items close to home. This may require meeting your buyer in a common space or allowing someone to pick things up from your home. |
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City in the Woods This is a Carlisle chat space where people share ideas, seek knowledge and offer their stuff to other folks in town. Learn more here: https://groups.io/g/CityInTheWoods |
Freecycle Welcome! The Freecycle Network™ is made up of 5,338 groups with 9,041,173 members around the world, and next door to you. It's a grassroots and entirely nonprofit movement of people who are giving (and getting) stuff for free in their own towns and neighborhoods. It's all about reuse and keeping good stuff out of landfills. Each local group is moderated by local volunteers (them's good people). Membership is free. To sign up, find your community by entering it into the search box above or by clicking on 'Browse Groups' above the search box. Have fun! |
SELL OR CONSIGN
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Tables to Teapots Consigning your items is a great way to earn a little money on the things you no longer need. Consignment shops will sell your items for you and split the profit, usually 50/50. Tables to Teapots will consign most, gently used, items valued over $10.00. You'll need to make an appointment before you drop off your items. Consignment by Appointment - get $$$ for your stuff! Learn more here: http://www.tablestoteapots.com/ |
Long’s Jewelers They might buy your jewelry or watch. The process is simple. We have experts in each of our stores ready to help, but we do suggest calling the closest Long’s location or making an appointment to make sure we are best prepared for your visit at a time that is convenient for you. Our experts offer appointments in any of our five stores Monday through Friday. Most visits, we will make you an offer and you can walk out of the store with a check in hand. Learn more here: https://www.longsjewelers.com/ |
RECYCLE
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Textile collections at School and Transfer Station Worn out clothes, pillows and stuffed animals often cannot be recycled or resold. But they can be recycled! Just drop them off at the collection bins at the school and transfer station. The bonus is that the PTO earns funds for each pound of textiles we drop in the bin. Bay State Textiles offers a solution to deal with the problem of unwanted textiles. We partner with schools and communities to create a process for diverting clothing donations along with shoes, and fabrics away from the solid waste stream. Instead of being thrown away, textiles create a new source of revenue for your community. Learn more here: https://www.baystatetextiles.com/ Recycle for Sight The Concord Lions participate in the Lions Recycle for Sight program. We have many collection boxes located throughout Concord and the surrounding communities. We regularly gather and sort the recycled glasses and then deliver them to Lions Eyeglass Recycling Centers where they are cleaned, further sorted by prescription strength, and packaged for distribution. Most of the recycled glasses are given to people in need in developing countries. Gleason Library is the drop off site for Carlisle. Local veterinarians can use your old towels Most veterinarians will put a nice clean towel in your pet carrier when you are ready to take your pet home from an appointment. You can donate your old, faded, stained but clean towels to the vet so they will always have some on hand to send home with their furry clients. This is a great way to donate old towels that are not pretty enough to offer to Household Goods! Just ask your vet or search for a local vet online. We're pretty sure they will be delighted with your offer! |
Where to Recycle Old Cell Phone, Computer or Electronics? Cell phone recycling has never been easier or more convenient. With so many of us upgrading frequently, we need to know how to properly dispose of our outdated, broken or simply unwanted cell phones. Appropriate disposal of your cell phone is crucial; whether that is through donating, recycling, or selling it. Your method of disposal may be different depending on if your cell phone is a smartphone, an old flip cell phone, broken or working. We’ll cover all the categories mentioned and help you decide on the best option. First and foremost though let’s cover how to prepare your mobile phone or computer for recycling. Some basic tips on preparation for recycling are:
There are cell phone and electronics drop box recycle bins at many large retailers. Check the list below for a local store with a drop center near you and dispose of that old device; broken or working. Check out the website before you go to understand which electronics each location will accept and if there are any limitations.
Source: https://www.recyclingcenternear.me/cell-phone-recycling/ |
