Thrift store donations are on the rise since the start of the pandemic. A lot of people donating their cast-offs, which means fewer items hitting landfills and more funds for your favorite thrift store’s mission. However, some donated goods don’t do much good. Broken, stained, chipped or unfinished donations can actually end up costing nonprofit thrift stores money.
“Unfortunately, we get quite a few things that we just can’t sell for safety, sometimes it’s just a cleanliness issue," said CAT Thrift store manager Bobbie Winchell. "Other times, the stuff is just broken and damaged beyond repair."
Winchell runs the thrift store that support the CAT Adoption teams mission to find loving homes for cats around the Portland area. She says CAT expects to spend more than $3,000 this year to discard broken items and other goods that can’t be sold.
Winchell offers tips to make sure your donations end up on thrift store shelves, instead of forcing volunteers to trash your junk.
1. Ditch damaged kitchenware. Chipped plates, nicked glasses, and pots or pans with peeling or scratched nonstick coating aren’t safe to use or sell. Toss these out.
2. Pitch plastic food containers. Most of these are cheap to buy new and not intended to last for long. Chances are if you’re done with it, it’s done.
3. Chuck the bad books. Books with mold or water damage can’t be resold, so recycle your damaged paperbacks and throw out hardbacks if they’re in bad shape.
4. Hold off on holiday items. If it’s out of season, wait to donate until closer to the holiday. Most thrift stores don’t have space to hold onto items for long and will have to pay to store or discard these items.
5. Dollar décor doesn’t resell. Because it’s already so inexpensive to buy new, décor from dollar stores is rarely purchased used; keep it for your next party or put it in the garbage.
6. Fix it or leave it. If you won’t spend the time and money to repair a damaged item, chances are no one else will either. Broken goods simply don’t make for a good donation. If it’s a favorite, fix it. Otherwise, it’s just trash.
7. Leave out the hazardous waste! Personal-use items (such as sex toys, used undergarmets, or bongs/pipes) may be considered biohazards and probably can’t be resold. And always check for and clean off biowaste (like blood or vomit) from any donations. Clean, sanitized items have a better chance of resale; unwanted intimate items should be disposed of, not donated.
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