About this directory
Charity shops turn donations into funding for good causes — but a surprising share of what arrives on their doorstep can't legally or safely be sold, and disposing of it costs charities money that should have gone to their work. Some report spending tens of thousands of pounds a year getting rid of unsaleable donations.
This directory exists so you can check before you bag something up.
Where the information comes from
Every entry is taken from the charity's own published donation guidance. Each policy links to its source page, quotes the charity's own wording where useful, and shows the date we last verified it. A monthly automated check watches every source page and flags any change for review — so a "verified" date tells you when a human last confirmed the entry against the charity's own words.
What the statuses mean
- ✕ Can't accept — the charity's guidance says they don't take it.
- ! Check first — they take it with conditions (a fire label, selected stores, sealed packaging…).
- ✓ Accepted — their guidance goes out of its way to say yes, where most say no.
- – Not mentioned — their guidance doesn't single it out. That is not a yes — ask your local shop.
The important caveat
Policies genuinely vary shop to shop, even within one charity: a standard-size shop can't take a sofa that the same charity's furniture store would love, and electrical acceptance often depends on whether a shop can safety-test. Treat this directory as a strong steer, not a guarantee — when it matters, ring the shop you're planning to visit.
If something looks wrong
Charity policies change. Every entry here links to the charity's own guidance — that page is always the authority, so when in doubt, trust it over us.