Charity begins by dumping the junk
Minimalism is chic but dropping all your junk off to charity isn’t a good look, says Katie Newton.
Rather than sending charities boot-loads of junk, they would prefer you sorted your unwanted stuff and directed it to where it’s needed.
Organisations such as The Salvation Army, St Vincent de Paul and Hospice all accept used household goods to sell at their stores, but there’s a limit to what they’ll take.
‘‘We don’t want old, dirty, broken or falling apart things,’’ says Paddy Neville, a Waikato Hospice co-ordinator. ‘‘We have to be quite vigilant when people are dropping their stuff off.
‘‘We need to be able to sell it, otherwise we’re disposing of it at our expense. We might say yes to your old table and chairs, but not the 10 bags of old clothes from Aunt Mary’s front room.’’
Neville says the Hospice shop in Frankton where she works also can’t accept computer equipment. ‘‘Old computers, screens and desks – they just don’t sell.’’
Each year, 16,000 tonnes of waste is saved from landfill by the Salvation Army’s Family Stores, which can be found from Kaitaia to Invercargill. Manager of Wellington’s largest store on Willis St, Grant Key, says he’ll accept most quality donations.
‘‘But there are some things that we just can’t accept, like baby prams, cots, car seats and walkers that may pose a danger to children if they are not maintained well or are just too old,’’ he says.
He is also happy to accept second-hand books and vinyl records that others might not take – ‘‘some of those can be quite rare and valuable which is a nice surprise’’ – but his store is moving from things like whiteware and electrical goods.
‘‘We need to be able to test these things, which is expensive and requires specific training. Things like washing machines need to be hooked up to water and drains and we simply don’t have the ability to do this.’’
People should also consider the timing of their drop-offs. ‘‘If you want to drop off in person, do it while the store is open. If people leave things outside the door when we’re closed, it can make a heck of a mess.’’
Another way of redistributing your old stuff to people who need it is to hold a garage sale or give it away on a site like Neighbourly or Freecycle.
Neighbourly operations director Sarah Moore says there are plenty of benefits of using the site.
‘‘Firstly, it’s completely free, we don’t charge for items to be traded,’’ she says. ‘‘Trading within your neighbourhood also means that items are generally pretty quick to be picked up; you’re not waiting for someone on the other side of town (or the country) to come and grab your kitchen sink.’’
Local councils also have their own ways of dealing with unwanted goods.
Auckland has a free inorganic collection service which must be booked in advance, Wellington has a list of drop-off points for unwanted goods and e-waste on its website and Christchurch runs EcoDrop facilities which redirect useable items to its EcoShop.
Many other organisations will take specific items. Curtain Banks pass unwanted drapes on to families that need help heating their homes; Littlemore, Little Sprouts and Pregnancy Help redistribute quality baby gear; and Women’s Refuges often take household items and clothing. It’s best to visit their websites for more information about what they do and don’t need.
‘‘We have to be quite vigilant. We might say yes to your old table and chairs, but not the 10 bags of old clothes from Aunt Mary’s front room.’’ Paddy Neville
Professional organiser Natalie Jane of Be Organised also suggests the following organisations for getting rid of particular items:
❚ Lions clubs: Selected clubs will pass unwanted reading glasses onto the Volunteer Ophthalmic Services Overseas (VOSO) who distribute them to people with poor eyesight in the Pacific Islands.
❚ SPCA: Needs towels, blankets and old newspaper for bedding for its animals.
❚ Seat Smart: Operates in Auckland, Hamilton, Hastings and Nelson, dismantling and recycling unwanted car restraints as part of the Department of Corrections community work programme.
❚ Dress For Success: Helps women get back into the workforce so needs quality women’s clothing and accessories that are suitable for job interviews.
❚ The Uplift Project: Will redistribute bras to women in disadvantaged communities.
❚ E-waste and E-cycle: Both dispose of unwanted electronic items.