Reusing Bags and Accessories: The Planet Benefits
Donating a bag helps the planet because it means one less bag needs to be made. A handbag, backpack or tote bag that someone uses again is still a whole, working bag. Nothing new has to be grown, tanned, woven, dyed or shipped to replace it. Reusing it saves far more than recycling it, and far more than throwing it away. To give yours away, see our free doorstep collection for bags and accessories.
The waste hierarchy
Reuse first, recycling second
UK waste law ranks the ways of dealing with waste in order, from best to worst:
Prevent it
Buy less and make things last.
Reuse it
Pass it on so it gets used again as it is. This is what donating your bags and accessories does.
Recycle it
Turn the material into something new.
Recover it
Burn it to make energy.
Dispose of it
Landfill, the last resort.
A reused handbag is still a whole handbag, with its straps, lining, zips and clasps doing the job they were made for. Most bags are made of several materials stitched and glued together, such as leather, canvas, nylon and metal. That makes them hard to pull apart and recycle. Using a bag again keeps all of that work and material in use, with nothing to break down.
What it saves
What reusing bags and accessories saves
Every new bag starts with raw materials. Leather has to be farmed and tanned. Cotton has to be grown and woven. Nylon and polyester are made from oil. Then come the dyes, the metal fittings, the factory energy and the journey to the shop. When someone uses your old rucksack or purse instead, none of that has to happen again.
The same goes for accessories. A belt, scarf, pair of gloves, watch or winter hat that is worn again saves a new one being made.
Our own estimate, for every kilo of bags and accessories used again rather than made new:
Work out your own with the green calculator
These are estimates, not measurements. They are the conservative per-kilo factors we use across our site for items kept in use rather than replaced, so they are meant to understate rather than overstate what reuse saves. The 49% figure is from WRAP.
Reuse starts at home
Put your bags to work straight away
A bag you are giving away can do one more job before it leaves your house. Use it to pack your other donations. Fill a tote bag with scarves and gloves, or a backpack with belts and purses. It saves space, and it saves using plastic bags just to carry things out of the door.
We’re not fussy about how donations are packed, as long as they are secure and easy to carry. Label them “Anglo Doorstep Collections” so our collectors know they are for them. More packing tips are on how do I donate my bags?
When reuse isn’t possible
When a bag is really finished
Some bags have had their day. The strap has snapped, the lining is torn, or the base has worn through. We can’t take those. We ask that everything you donate is in good condition, with no damage, holes or stains, so that it can be used again.
For a bag that is past saving, check what your local household recycling centre accepts before you think about the bin. Everything that reaches us is sorted by hand at our warehouse, and we pass on what can be used again. Follow that journey on what happens to my bags?
So which should you do?
- Clean and usable? Donate it. Book a free bags and accessories collection.
- Broken or worn through? See whether your local recycling centre can take it.
- Not sure? Check what bags and accessories can I donate?
The one thing never to do with a usable bag is throw it out. Why that matters is on why shouldn’t old bags go in the bin?
Every day
Other ways to keep bags and accessories in use
- Buy second-hand. A pre-loved handbag or rucksack often has years of life left.
- Repair before you replace. A new zip, strap or clasp can save a favourite bag.
- Look after leather. Clean it and stuff the bag to keep its shape when you store it.
- Lend or swap. Clutch bags and occasion bags are often used only once or twice.
- Pass on school bags and backpacks when children outgrow them.
- When you do buy new, choose a bag that is well made and will last.
Every bag you pass on gives someone else an affordable choice and means one less made new. You can read who that helps on who do my bags help? We collect it all free from your doorstep, and the proceeds support the charity you choose.
Sources
- Our per-kilo estimates of 3 kg of CO2e and 2,500 litres of water are the conservative factors we use across our site for items kept in use rather than made new. They are estimates, not measured savings.
- WRAP, press release on its Textiles Market Situation Report 2024: 49% of all used textiles in the UK were put in the rubbish bin rather than reused or recycled (2021 figure).
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.