Which Bags and Accessories Can I Donate?
The simple test for any bag or accessory is this: if it’s clean, it works and someone could use it tomorrow, we’ll take it. Most handbags, backpacks, purses, hats and scarves pass easily. Here is what our free bags and accessories collection takes, the few things we can’t, and why.
Handbags
Plus purses and clutch bags.
Backpacks
Plus rucksacks, totes and hold-alls.
Hats and scarves
Plus gloves, belts and ties.
Jewellery
Plus watches and sunglasses.
Welcome on your doorstep
Bags we collect
We take bags of every shape and size, for men, women and children, including:
- Handbags and shoulder bags
- Clutch bags and evening bags
- Purses
- Tote bags
- Backpacks and rucksacks
- School bags, if they’re unbranded
- Hold-alls
Old handbags, purses and clutch bags have a page of their own: donating handbags and purses.
You can put these in with your bags too:
Hats, scarves and gloves
Winter hats and beanies, summer hats and baseball caps, plus scarves and gloves. Keep gloves together in pairs.
Belts, ties and jewellery
Belts, ties, jewellery and watches. Put small pieces in a purse or a small bag so nothing gets lost.
Sunglasses and reading glasses
Sunglasses, and reading glasses as long as they’re not prescription glasses. A case keeps the lenses from getting scratched.
Coats, clothes and shoes can go out in the same collection. See everything we collect.
Please leave out
Bags and accessories we can’t take, and why
There are only a few, and each has a reason. We only collect things another person can use, because anything that can’t be reused costs money to get rid of, and that money should be going to charity.
Suitcases
Suitcases are on our list of things we can’t collect. They are big and bulky, and they aren’t part of what we sort and pass on.
Instead: offer a good one to friends, family or neighbours, or a local charity shop. A broken one can go to your local recycling centre.
Sleeping bags
They’re a bag in name only. A sleeping bag is filled bedding, and filled bedding can’t be rehomed for hygiene reasons.
Instead: animal shelters are often glad of them.
Camping gear
Tents, camping chairs and other camping equipment are bulky, and they aren’t part of what we sort and pass on.
Instead: a local youth group or community group may be able to use them.
Prescription glasses
They are made for one person’s eyes, so they can’t be passed on second-hand.
Instead: ask at your local opticians. Many take old glasses.
Names, school crests and company logos
A bag printed or embroidered with a name, a school crest or a company logo can’t be used by anyone else.
Instead: offer school bags to the school. Many run a second-hand uniform shop or a swap.
Wet, broken or badly worn
A bag with a snapped strap, a broken zip or a torn lining can’t be used again, and anything wet spoils everything packed with it.
Instead: your local household recycling centre.
The full list of everything we can and can’t collect is on what we collect.
Before you pack up
Is it good enough to donate?
Is it clean?
Wipe the outside, shake out the crumbs and wash anything that needs it.
Is it dry?
All the way through. Damp bags and hats go mouldy when they are packed away.
Does it work?
Zips open and close, straps and handles are firmly attached, and clasps still shut.
Are the pockets empty?
Check every pocket and inside zip for keys, cards, receipts and loose change.
A good rule of thumb: if you would happily lend it to a friend, it is ready to go. And there’s no need to waste a carrier bag. Use the bags you’re donating to pack other donations in. It saves space and plastic, as long as everything is secure and easy to carry.
Unsure about one item? Leave it out. One wet or mouldy bag can spoil everything packed around it.
Worn out?
What about bags that are worn out?
Please don’t put them out with your donations, but please don’t put them in the bin either. Your local household recycling centre can tell you what it takes, and much of what a bag is made from can be recycled there. What is lost when a usable bag is thrown away is on why old bags shouldn’t go in the bin, and why using a bag again beats making a new one is on how donating bags helps the planet.
Ready to pack up? Our step-by-step guide, how to donate your bags, covers booking, packing and the day itself.
Ready to donate your bags and accessories?
It’s free, you don’t need to be at home, and you choose the charity your donation supports.