Charity Shops

Charity shops are a treasure trove of quality household goods and clothes. By reusing items in this way you can help to look after the environment and reduce the amount of waste going to landfill.

Over 45,000 tonnes of goods are donated to charity shops in Scotland every year (Ref: Changeworks). However, there are many more items going into landfill that can be taken to a charity shop or reuse project and sold on.

Charity shops have increased the number and type of items that they accept. Some shops can now accept CDs, DVDs, small and large electrical appliances, sports equipment, computers and baby equipment.

You can find your nearest Charity Shop by visiting the Reuse section of our Sort It website.

Donating

Charity shops welcome your donations. Follow the tips below to help them to get the most out of your donations:

Only donate items that will be wanted and are in a sellable condition.
Call and check in advance that the shop accepts the items that you want to donate.
Only make donations when the shop is open. Leaving donations on the street can block pavements and lead to items being damaged or stolen.
Don't donate anything that is damaged, broken or stained.

Items that are not in a good enough condition to be reused can often be recycled instead. You can discover how your clothes are recycled by viewing our Textile Recycling Journey. You can find your nearest recycling centre by visiting our Sort It website.

Charity maps

The Generous Scotland project (managed by Changeworks) have produced charity maps for a number of areas across Scotland. These show the location of shops in local areas and give details of the types of donations that the shops are looking for.

Edinburgh Edinburgh Charity Map
Glasgow Dear Green Place
Scottish borders Generous Scottish Borders

If you are interested in developing a charity map for your area or would like to find out more about the Generous Scotland programme please email: generousscotland@changeworks.org.uk or visit www.changeworks.org.uk.