Here is a list of places for you to donate, sell or re-home your pre-loved belongings. Especially the more unusual stuff…
Reduce landfill, extend the life of an item, donate to charity or make some cash.
I’ve mentioned some places around Tunbridge wells, but these are ideas you can use anywhere. I’ve collated this list as I’ve re-homed items for my clients and in my own life, as I hate the idea of waste.
Please let me know your tips or if my list needs updating, so it’s fresh for everyone to use. Imogen@thelittleorganisingcompany.com
Contents
Includes:
Adventure and Sports kit
Antiques (see Furniture)
Blankets, linen & towels
Books, music & DVDs
Broken household items
Camping equipment
Coins & Foreign money
Clothing (good condition)
Clothing (damaged)
Clothing (cashmere)
Coat hangers
Computer and IT equipment
Computer games
Curtains
Duvets & pillows
Electrical items
Fireworks
Food items
Furniture & Antiques
Glasses, sunglasses & contact lenses
House Clearance
Jewellery (including broken)
Kitchen knives (TBC)
Kitchen equipment (TBC)
Makeup bottles (cleaned)
Medicines (out of date and unwanted)
Mobile phones and tablets
Paperwork (shredding)
Pre-used Bras
Printer toner cartridges
Running Shoes
Stamps & collector packs
Stationery, art supplies & folders
Also see the Repair Cafes:
Adventure & Sports Kit
Working condition:
Runner Need shops – recycled or re-home (70% reused) – sometimes they offer discounts on new shoes if you recycle.
Donate unwanted (even worn but usable) sports kit and clothing Preloved Sports
Donate secondhand adventure gear – Kitsquad
Donate to a charity shop or post on Next door app or Facebook
Blankets, linen and towels
Good condition:
Donate to charity shop or post on Next door app
Clean but well used:
Wildlife or animal sanctuaries
Folly Wildlife Rescue, Kent/Sussex
(not all will take pillows but call and ask)
Books, Music & DVDs
Broken household items
Repairable:
For items like coffee machines, textiles, and jewellry amongst other things – If you want it fixed try the Tunbridge Wells Repair Cafe
Beyond repair:
Electrical items, batteries, wood can all be recycled and the raw materials used in other goods. Please don’t put them in the bin, this will just be added to landfill. Book a slot at your local recycling centre.
https://beta.tunbridgewells.gov.uk/refuse-and-recycling/north-farm
Coins & Foreign money
Coins (Gold, Silver)
Can be sold by weight. Ask at a local jewellers.
Collectible coins and packs
Ebay (look up similar items to get an idea of worth)
Get valued. See the directory of coin dealers, which includes Warwick & Warwick
Foreign money
Donate to charity.
Alzheimers Society request pre-paid envelope)
RNIB (request pre-paid envelope)
Clothing
Donation:
Heart of Hospice (good quality)
Hospice in the Weald, including North Farm Industrial site, which has good access.
Oxfam, Sevenoaks, Tunbridge Wells, Tonbridge
Sell:
Rethread.uk (free postage bags, they sell for you at %)
Thrift.plus (free postage bags, they sell for you at %)
Vestiairecollective.com (Luxury brands)
You can batch clothes to sell if required.
For more on selling clothes – my top tips for selling clothes
Clothes (damaged or stained)
Separate from good condition clothing. Bag up and label ‘Rags’. Donate to Charity shop (call ahead). See below for Cashmere.
If you want to remember a lovely item of clothing for a sentimental reason – use a section of the material to be made into a bag or home item by Lovingly Made by Lucie
Cashmere clothing
Coat Hangers
Ask at Charity shops or dry cleaners.
Post on Next Door app to see if anyone looking for some.
Wood and metal hangers can be taken to Recycling Centre.
Plastic ones cannot normally be recycled (metal tops can be removed for recycling)
Computer and IT equipment
inc. mobile phones/ tablets / ink cartridges / computers
Sell:
CEX, Tunbridge Wells (and online)
Donate:
Recycle:
CPR Computer Recycling (and data wiping service)
Computer Repair Centre Tunbridge Wells (recycling)
Ink:
Ink and Toner Recycling Limited (any condition)
Mobile phones/tablets
Sell:
CEX, Tunbridge Wells (and online)
Donate:
Oxfam (any condition)
WaterAid (via fonebank)
Curtains & Blinds
Sell (great condition):
The Curtain Exchange (area dependent), Vinted or donate to a charity shop. The Haines Collection might sell depending on the quality of the material.
Damaged, stained or sun-bleached:
Donate as ‘Rags’ to a charity shop or take to the textiles Recycling Centre
Duvets & Pillows
Post on Next Door app (Clean and in good condition)
Take to the Recycling Centre (damaged or stained)
Electrical items
Good working order donate:
British Heart Foundation, Grosvenor Road (Free collections)
Hospice in the Weald, TW industrial estate & at Hospice in Pembury
Sell:
Broken but repairable:
For items like coffee machines, radios, toasters amongst other things – If you want it fixed try the Tunbridge Wells Repair Cafe
Beyond repair:
Electrical items, batteries, can all be recycled and the raw materials used in other goods. Please don’t put them in the bin, this will just be added to landfill. Small electrical items can be left ON YOUR BIN LID to be separately recycled by Council (Tunbridge Wells only)
Book a slot at your local recycling centre.
https://beta.tunbridgewells.gov.uk/refuse-and-recycling/north-farm
Fireworks
Used fireworks can be submerged in water for 24 hrs and put in your normal rubbish bin. For unused see more information here
Food items
Donate (in date items):
Nourish Community Foodbank or your local group. See the link for what is needed and collection points.
Next door app for items food banks don’t need. Post a photo of what you have.
OLIO app to share food in your community – even if you have half a cake left.
Too Good To Go app Restaurants can share food which is perfect but going out of date soon. Have fun collecting a magic bag.
Out of date food:
See your local food recycling collections – so food can be used as energy.
Furniture & Antiques
Donate:
British Heart Foundation, Grosvenor Road (Free collections)
YMCA, Goods station road (Furniture only)
Hospice in the Weald, TW industrial estate & at Hospice in Pembury
Sell:
Get an idea of value from a visual scan Selling Antiques or from a local dealer .
You can get items valued via photo and description on Gorringe’s (Tunbridge Wells / Lewis area)
Glasses, Sunglasses & Contact Lenses
Donate:
Peeps (by post)
Take to your local Boots or Vision Express store
Non-prescription sunglasses can also be donated (good condition) otherwise take to Recycling centre
Used Contact Lenses can be recycled Vision Direct
House Clearance
British Heart Foundation (Charity)
They will quote and clear an entire house or just a room. Cost depends on what is being cleared
They sell or recycle what they remove. Collection included.
Jewellery
Good condition:
Donate to most charity shops.
Alzheimer’s Society (request pre-paid envelope)
Broken or damaged:
Alzheimers Society request pre-paid envelope)
General metal can be taken to Recycle centre.
Gold, silver or precious stones:
Take to a trusted local jeweller for advice on sale. Gold and silver can be sold by weight too.
Mobile phones, Tablets
Sell:
CEX, Tunbridge Wells (and online)
Donate (free postage):
Oxfam (any condition)
WaterAid (via fonebank)
Ink and Toner Recycling Limited (any condition)
Medicines
Boots chemists and most pharmacies (will take unwanted or out of date medical items)
For more information on clinical waste collection
Running Shoes
Worn or unwanted
Runner Need shops – recycled or re-home (70% reused) – sometimes they offer discounts on new shoes if you recycle.
Donate unwanted (even worn but usable) sports kit and clothing Preloved Sports
Donate secondhand adventure gear – Kitsquad
Stationery, pens art supplies & folders
Ask at local schools if they can use the items.
Or post on Next Door app or Facebook
Stamps