Who Do Donated Bags and Accessories Help?
A handbag, rucksack or tote you no longer use can do a lot of good. Given through our free doorstep collection for bags and accessories, it helps people who need a good bag at a fair price. It also raises money for the charity you choose, keeps people in work and keeps bags out of the bin.
- People who use them next
- Your chosen charity
- Local jobs
- Your council
1 · People
People who get a good bag for less
Most of the bags and accessories we collect are used again. Some are sold here in the UK. Many go to destinations worldwide, including Africa, South America and South East Asia. There they are sold at low cost to people who can’t afford essentials like bags and warm hats brand new.
For someone on a tight budget, that difference matters. A sturdy backpack for school or a tote bag for the weekly shop is something people use every day. A shoulder bag for work counts too. The bag you have finished with becomes someone else’s everyday one. How it gets there is on what happens to my bags.
Back to school
Children wear out and outgrow school bags quickly. A good rucksack at a fair price helps a family stretch its budget. School bags are welcome as long as they are unbranded.
Everyday essentials
Handbags, purses and clutch bags often have years of life left in them. See donating handbags and purses for the ones that are most useful to give.
Warmth in winter
Winter hats, scarves and gloves are sorted and sent on to colder countries such as Ukraine, where warm accessories are badly needed. Pack them together so they can go out quickly.
It is a chance to clear space at home as well. A sort-out feels far better when you know your bags are going on to be useful.
2 · Charity
The charity you choose
When you book, you choose where your donation goes. A large percentage of the proceeds goes to that charity. Every collection adds to the total our donors have raised.
RSPCA
Rescuing, caring for and rehoming animals in need, and working to prevent cruelty.
Action for Children
Practical help and protection for children and young people across the UK.
Together for Short Lives
Support for seriously ill children and their families, working with children’s hospices.
Advance
Free, confidential support for women, including women facing danger at home.
All our partner charities are based and work in the UK, supporting causes close to home. You can also choose to plant trees with Ecologi instead.
3 · Jobs
People in work
Every collection is work for real people. That includes the drivers who collect from your street and the team at our warehouse who sort every bag by hand. It also includes the traders and stallholders who sell your bags and accessories on.
4 · Your council
Your council and neighbourhood
A bag thrown in a household bin has to be collected and disposed of by your council, and that costs money. Every one that comes to us instead is one less for the council to deal with. That is one reason many councils work with us: see council partnerships.
5 · The planet
Less made new
WRAP found that each person in the UK throws around 35 items of unwanted textiles straight into general waste every year. By our estimate, every kilo of bags and accessories used again instead of made new saves about 3 kg of CO2e and 2,500 litres of water. See how donating bags helps the planet and why old bags shouldn’t go in the bin, or try the green calculator.
Sources: WRAP, press release on its Textiles Market Situation Report (2024).
Making your donation count. Give bags and accessories in good condition, without damage, holes or stains, because they are the ones that raise the most. Empty every pocket and zip. Use the bags you’re donating to pack other donations in, which saves space and plastic bags. Make sure everything is secure and easy to carry, and leave it out by 7am on your collection day. Not sure what to include? Start with what bags and accessories can I donate?
Related reading
More on donating bags and accessories
- Donate your bags and accessories
- How do I donate my bags?
- What happens to my bags?
- Everything we can and can’t collect
Ready to pass your bags on? Find your area on charity collections near you and book a free doorstep collection. Pack everything up and leave it out on the day, and we’ll take care of the rest.
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.