How to Donate Bags and Accessories From Home
You can donate bags and accessories without leaving the house. Book a free collection, pack your handbags, rucksacks and smaller pieces into tied bags, and leave them on your doorstep by 7am on the day. You don’t need to be in. This page takes you through it step by step. For an overview of the service, see our free doorstep collection for bags and accessories.
- Six simple steps
- Bags out by 7am
- No need to be in
- You choose the charity
Step by step
How to donate bags and accessories from home
Sort out what you’re giving
Look in the wardrobe, under the bed and on the back of the door. Handbags, tote bags, shoulder bags, backpacks, purses and clutch bags are all welcome. So are smaller accessories, such as belts, scarves, gloves, ties, hats, watches, jewellery and sunglasses. Everything should be in good condition, without damage, holes or stains.
A few things can’t be passed on. We don’t collect suitcases or prescription glasses, and we can’t take anything with a name on it. Check what bags and accessories can I donate? before you start, and see handbags and purses for tips on giving those.
Book your collection and choose your charity
Book online. It only takes a few minutes. Enter your postcode to see the dates we’re collecting near you. Then:
- Pick a date. If we’re near you tomorrow, you can book it until 4pm today.
- Tell us where your donations will be. That could be the doorstep, the porch, with a concierge, or somewhere else you describe.
- Tell us if you’ll have more than 20 bags or boxes, so we can make sure there’s room in the van.
- Choose your charity. Pick from the RSPCA, Action for Children, Together for Short Lives or Advance, or choose Ecologi to plant trees. A large percentage of the proceeds goes to the cause you pick.
We’ll send a confirmation email straight away, with a link to manage your booking.
Empty every pocket
Bags are very good at hiding things. Open every zip, inside pocket and side pocket of each handbag, rucksack and purse. Take out keys, bank cards, cash, receipts, tickets and lip balm. A quick wipe inside and out helps too. Make sure everything is completely dry before you pack it.
Pack them into tied bags
- Put everything in strong bags you can tie, or in boxes a driver can lift, and close them.
- Keep small things safe. Put jewellery, watches and sunglasses inside a purse or a zipped bag before they go in, so nothing gets lost.
- Use the bags you’re giving. Fill a tote bag or rucksack with smaller accessories, then put it in a tied bag. It saves space and plastic.
- Pack winter hats, scarves and gloves together. This helps us sort them quickly.
- Bags and accessories can go in with clothes. Keep anything else, such as books or kitchenware, in a separate bag or box.
- If you like, label your bags “Anglo Doorstep Collections” so our driver knows they’re for us.
The evening before
We’ll email you an estimated arrival window for the next day. The email includes a link to follow the driver on a live map.
Collection day
Put your bags out by 7am, wherever you told us when you booked. You don’t need to be at home. The driver will pick them up, and we’ll let you know once your donation has been collected.
Packing ideas
Two simple packing tips
Fill the bags you’re donating with smaller pieces, then tie them inside a bag. Keep winter accessories together, so they’re easy to sort when they reach us.
Changing or cancelling
You can move your collection to another date or cancel it. Use the “Manage my booking” link in your confirmation email, sign in to My Account, or use the Anglo Doorstep app.
What happens next
Your bags go back to our warehouse. There they’re sorted by hand, and we pass on what can be used again. Plastic bags are reused as packaging, and cardboard is recycled. You can follow the whole journey on what happens to my bags?
Worth the effort
Why donate your bags this way
It helps people and the planet
WRAP found that 49% of all used textiles in the UK went in the rubbish bin in 2021, instead of being reused or recycled. WRAP also found that each person in the UK throws an average of 35 items of unwanted textiles straight into general waste every year (2021). When you donate a bag, it can go to someone who will use it and raise money for your chosen charity. Read who do my bags help? and why old bags shouldn’t go in the bin.
A clearer home
A tidy hallway and an emptier wardrobe feel good. It feels even better to know the bags are going somewhere useful. You don’t need to load the car or queue at a charity shop.
We come to you, regularly
We collect across most of England and South Wales. Most areas have a collection every week or every fortnight, so you can donate when it suits you. See the areas we cover.
Want to know what your clear-out could save? Try the green calculator, or read how donating bags helps the planet.
Sources: WRAP, press release on its Textiles Market Situation Report (2024).
Questions
Questions about donating bags
Do I need to be at home?
No. Leave your bags out by 7am on your collection day, and the driver will pick them up. If they can’t be left outside, tell us when you book. You can say they’re in the porch or with a concierge, or ask the driver to knock.
Is it really free?
Yes. We don’t charge for collections. The cost is covered by selling what we collect, and a large percentage of the proceeds goes to the charity you choose.
How many bags can I put out?
As many as you have from a normal clear-out. If you’ll have more than 20 bags or boxes, tell us when you book, so we can make sure the van has room.
Can I put a handbag out on its own?
It’s better to put it inside a tied bag. That keeps it dry and stops small things from falling out. It also makes it clear to the driver that it’s a donation.
What if it rains?
Tie your bags firmly closed, or leave them in a porch if you have one. Leather and fabric bags spoil if they get wet, so keeping them dry really matters.
Can I give a suitcase?
No. We don’t collect suitcases. Handbags, backpacks, rucksacks, tote bags, purses and clutch bags are all welcome.
More answers are on our frequently asked questions page, and you can see everything we collect.
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.