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Charities report donors giving rubbish to their outlets 🙄

(12 Posts)
Fallingstar Thu 15-Oct-26 09:09:14

A piece on BBC this morning about donors really surprised me about people donating highly unsuitable items and even bags of household rubbish to charities, meaning they have the added cost of getting rid of it all.
When I decluttered I remember ringing the charity which would pick it up describing what would be in the bags. I did have to remove anything electrical because the charity didn’t have a qualified tester.
I know there are members on here who volunteer in charity shops and would be glad to hear of their experiences.

sodapop Thu 15-Oct-26 09:25:34

People use charity shops etc as dumping grounds when they can't be bothered to deal with their own rubbish. This has long been the case especially when leaving bags outside when the shop/charity is closed. Shameful.
I found the same thing on a smaller scale with the voluntary library I ran, people brought in books which had been in garages or barns for years and were damp, smelly and unreadable, even covered in mouse dropping. Usual comment was , well I don’t like to throw books away.

Fallingstar Thu 15-Oct-26 09:47:05

What a shame!
What is wrong with people?
I feel quite conscious of what I donate to charity, worried that it might not pass muster.

AGAA4 Thu 15-Oct-26 09:58:51

I have heard of this. I don't understand why people think charities want their stained t shirts and jeans with broken zips. Two of the things that were mentioned by the shops.

eddiecat78 Thu 15-Oct-26 10:07:49

We took items to an Air Ambulance shop last week. The assistant insisted on checking the bag as "our disposal costs have gone through the roof recently".

Maremia Thu 15-Oct-26 10:12:01

It's just another version of fly tipping.

petra Thu 15-Oct-26 10:16:26

Ive been sorting in charity shops for over 10 years.
I think I’ve seen it all. Blood on underwear including the bra. Excrement, semen. Kitchen dishes with baked on food. Half full tins of paint. Hair brushes and Combes with hair in them.
We always know when the donation is from a deceased person.
They tip the whole contents from those kitchen drawers where everything is dumped 🤬

TheWeirdoAgain60 Thu 15-Oct-26 10:24:10

As an ex-charity shop manager, I'm gob-smacked by the amount of awful rubbish we get, even used nappies and other baby/kids stuff with puke and pee and poo all over them and various teen and adult clothing.

Various bedding and curtains ripped up, dirty underwear, things which are wet and/or slimy.

We've had dentures and false eyes, artificial limbs, even... ahem... ''adult'' stuff which included videos!

It's one of the reasons I quit that job!

GrannyGravy13 Thu 15-Oct-26 10:25:25

I donate to two charity shops, before donating I always ring and check if they are selling in their rags. If they say yes I sort clothes out to wearable and non wearable to save them the trouble and mark the bags clearly.

GrannyGravy13 Thu 15-Oct-26 10:26:04

selling on 😡 and I proof read 🤦‍♀️

Usedtobeblonde Thu 15-Oct-26 10:29:58

We are in the opposite dilemma here.
We have no charity shops near us now and the one a few miles away closes soon.We put really good clothes in the containers at the supermarket and I don’t know what happens to them, I have heard poor reports.

butterandjam Thu 15-Oct-26 10:34:36

AGAA4

I have heard of this. I don't understand why people think charities want their stained t shirts and jeans with broken zips. Two of the things that were mentioned by the shops.

They know the charities don't want them, and don't care. It's just a convenient and free way to dump rubbish.