We’re downsizing and thus have a lot of good clothes and household goods to give away. I don’t have time to manage on gumtree or Facebook marketplace, so I want to drop off at a charity (like Vinnies ) or charity bins.
Have read that some bins are just businesses that shred the clothes to make rags, but I want our stuff to be used since it is high quality.
Which charity bins or shops would be best? We are located in Bondi Beach. I’ll make a poll if there are a few options.
Charities and Charity Bins - which one ?
2026 on 12/08/2021 - 10:26
Last edited 12/08/2021 - 10:26
Last edited 12/08/2021 - 10:26
Comments
They're all the same in the sense that if there are too many clothes/not enough volunteers to sort it, they just get shredded to make rags. Especially now with them being closed and lots of people stuck at home doing some spring cleaning charity bins are probably all full to the brim!
Take them to an actual store. That way you know it’s going to get sold within the store and the profits used for whichever charity.
If you post on your local Buy Nothing group, the only managing you have to do is take photos and leave outside your door for the chosen person to collect,you don't have to be home at a certain time etc. You could group your clothes into bundles of the same size and give them away that way so it is faster. Same with household goods, you can make a bundle of cooking stuff etc. Much better than having to load them into your car and drive from bin to bin or charity shop to charity shop looking for one who will accept your stuff (many won't, or the bins may be full).
This.
And watch foreign correspondent or read ABC news which has the written article.
Watch the latest episode of Foreign Correspondence.
People choosing to import random bales of clothes is our fault?
Of course not, however you choosing to misinterpret the story is your fault :)
@bdl: How did I misinterpret it? They states they buy them, not knowing what's in it, wanting to make a profit, then they don't have things that are "good enough". How is that anyone's fault but their own? If you don't want your country full of other people's clothes, stop buying them?
Put it all on the driveway, take some photos, put the pics up on marketplace and local groups as free. Anything that's not gone in a couple of days goes in the bin. Unfortunately, charities struggle to get rid of the stuff that they have; when was the last time you bought from a charity store?
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-08-12/fast-fashion-turning-…
This article is well timed to reply to you.
i saw some scavenger tear up a bag that was out front someones house, then inconsiderately left the clothes over the pavement
IN NSW the bins have to say if they are charity run or not. I only use the ones that have charity run on them.
Either drop of at an actual op shop with store front (depending where you live, best if it is actually open at the moment) or give away as a bulk lot with an good description via marketplace. Buy nothin/g groups are great or just list at $0. When I do this I'm a bit selective about who I give it to, i.e. I put in the ad "I will not respond if you just write 'is this still available' - please advise when you are able to pick up - address will only be given close to time of pick up". I Find that people that can communicate in sentences and are polite are more reliable.
EDIT - just saw you are in Bondi. Could also call a couple of local charities and see what they are doing, they might have ways that can pick up and distribute to homeless/needy even if their op shops are closed.
Looks like Wayside are collecting through their Potts Point store Thurs-Tues at the moment, you could give them a call before you go https://www.waysidechapel.org.au/ways-to-donate/
Have read that some bins are just businesses that shred the clothes to make rags, but I want our stuff to be used since it is high quality.
All the clothes are sorted, the stuff that is sellable is resold, the rest is turned into rags.
If you have a bag of clothes and can hold on to them for a few months, PM me, and when lockdown is over your welcome to come for a random nightly drive around with me and a few friends. We all chip in $20/$30 each head to Coles and buy a heap of random staple items like toothbrushes, toothpaste, female hygiene, canned baked beans, bottled water etc. We then head around a few areas where the homeless are and hand things out.
This includes clothes and the likes.
Obviously, we won't be able to do so for a while to come due to lockdowns, but if you are keen and can hold on to the clothes, PM me! :)
Edit link was above
Most of the bins are run by private enterprise as a money making venture. Even those marked as xxxx charity can still be privately run with the operators paying a minuscule amount to use the charity name
There is a slightly related article on the ABC today.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-08-12/fast-fashion-turning-…
I rarely throw out clothes and therefore rarely buy new clothes.
I am still wearing the same Polo tops I wore ten years ago.
I have pants / shorts that I do lots of activity in like bike riding, work around the house, when they develop holes, I mend them unless it is a massive tear or split down the back side.
I've recently noticed that I have t-shirts in my rotation which I bought in 2003. I buy a few shirts per year, and retire a few shirts which wear out. The same with business shirts (which aren't really getting any use since covid).
If you have work clothes there's a handful of charities around that help people dress for interviews/jobs that don't have the money for clothing, like Ready Set. They're always after better quality stuff than Vinnies.
I feel as though most op-shops like Vinnies and Salvos don't let you donate straight to the store and that you have to take them to one of their bins because that's the way their sorting system works. I'm not sure the volunteers at those stores have the capacity to sort, but it might depend on the store and the area.
All our local op shops let you donate straight to the store, (Gold Coast, QLD so perhaps different elsewhere). That includes, vinnies, salvos, etc. Vinnies has a wire cage at the front just inside the store, salvos has a roller door at the back they open when you knock. I feel it's better this way, as people are less likely to donate junk if they are seen donating it - a bit more accountable. They definitely sort it there. I've seen items I've donated for sale afterwards.
Yeah in Vic it's a bit different, I've seen many stores with signs at the front saying they don't take items directly and that they have to be donated at the donation bins.
Store front would be better. Less chance of clothes getting contaminated. That said that would depend on whether the charities accept donations or not, and depending on how good the clothes are.
Wash the clothes before donating, make sure there isn't a hole, no names on the tag (that I have heard is more of a privacy thing but eh) or anything like that.
A good indicator that we used to say was, it should be in a condition where you would be happy to give to your mates to wear.
Whichever bin is not full