Charities Face Hefty Costs for Unsaleable Donations

Charity shops are increasingly burdened by the cost of disposing of unsaleable donations, with some hospice charities spending tens of thousands of pounds each year on waste removal. St Barnabas Hospice in Lincoln and Dove House Hospice in Hull, for example, incurred a combined £70,000 in waste disposal costs last year alone.

Jane Ward, deputy manager at a St Barnabas Hospice shop, highlighted the issue with items like mouldy books, dog-hair-covered fleece jackets, stained teddy bears, and single, dirty slippers. These items are not only unsaleable but also often rejected by rag companies, leaving charities to cover the disposal expenses.

Caroline Peach, head of retail for St Barnabas Hospice, explained that while the charity relies heavily on donations, a significant amount of donated material becomes waste. Last year, the hospice recycled 350 tonnes of items. However, broken crockery, toys with missing parts, and other damaged goods that cannot be sold or recycled incur direct waste disposal costs. St Barnabas spent £30,000 on waste disposal across its shops last year.

"The public are very aware of being sustainable, not putting stuff into landfill. And so, they immediately think, I'll support my local charity. But they need to be mindful of the things that the charity can't sell, that then become a cost," Peach stated.

Both hospice charities provide online lists detailing acceptable and unacceptable donations. They emphasize that good quality, clean, and complete items are most valuable. Examples of desirable donations include clean cookware and mugs, or hardly-worn shoes from reputable brands. The general guideline provided is: "Would you buy it yourself? If the answer is 'yes', then we will happily take your items."

While the flagship St Barnabas shop, The Warehouse, has generated over £2 million since opening in 2022, the strain of managing and disposing of unusable donations remains a significant challenge. Items lacking safety marks, such as some children's toys, or those that are incomplete, like a jigsaw puzzle with missing pieces, cannot be put on sale.