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Key Points
- Thrift stores reject items like used makeup and skincare for hygiene reasons.
- They toss out potential safety issues, like child car seats and strollers that may not be up to code.
- Items like reusable grocery bags are thrown out because they are considered clutter.
Donating items to a thrift shop is a win-win. You get to declutter your home, while your gently used items get a second life. It’s good for the environment by reducing waste and supports the local community by offering up great items at affordable prices.
But unfortunately, not every item is considered reusable—whether for sanitary or safety reasons. Here, thrift experts break down what not to donate, why, and what you could do with those items instead.
Meet the Experts
- PJ Gach is a fashion, shopping, and thrifting expert who worked and volunteered in thrift stores for years.
- Cynthia Traxler is the founder of Review-Reuse-Repair.com.
- Marlise Kast-Myers is the owner of Brick n Barn antique shop that accepts donated items.
Knives
Everything from steak knives and chef knives to pen knives usually gets shuffled out the back door of thrift stores.
Thrifting expert PJ Gach worked at thrift stores, sifting through the shops’ donation hauls. Though some thrift shops might accept knives as donations, Gach says some stores feel that any sharp knife or knife-like instrument could be turned into a weapon. Instead of selling them, the thrift shop simply had them thrown out.
To avoid having your donated knives junked, call ahead to query if the thrift store even accepts these used items. If you can’t find a location willing to take them—and especially if your chef’s knives are of high quality—consider offering them to family or friends who like to cook.
Car Seats and Strollers
Car seats and strollers are other unwanted donations considered unsafe.
“Due to constant recalls and safety issues, the thrift store I volunteered for would not allow them onto the sales floor. This is a health and safety issue,” Gach says.
Thrift stores in general do not want to sell an item that could hurt someone. Sometimes, car seats and strollers are recycled at recycling centers—but not every thrift shop or Goodwill will do this on your behalf.
Instead of donating to a thrift shop, recycle these items yourself. Or give these items to family or friends who have children who fit the items’ height and weight requirements.
You can also call your local charities; some may accept them for new parent how-to demonstrations.
Partially Used Cosmetics and Skincare
For hygiene reasons, used makeup—no matter how gently used—cannot be resold.
“As anyone who’s opened an old makeup palette and found mold growing in the eyeshadows knows, old makeup needs to be tossed out,” Gach says.
As a thrift store sorter, she had no way of knowing how often the cosmetics were used or how old they are. So, makeup and skincare, unless it was sealed, went straight into the trash, she says.
Instead of donating these items, consider upcycling the glass jars. You can turn these into spare coin holders, candle jars, or even ‘90s-inspired sand art. If you strip the labels off the glass jars, no one will know that these pretty containers once housed your cosmetics.
Bike Helmets
Unless this item was donated “new in the box,” this safety-related item is typically tossed.
“We just don’t want anyone to get hurt by a non-working, defective or out-of-date product,” thrift website owner Cynthia Traxler says.
Sometimes you can donate these items to groups that specialize in the item or activity, Traxler says. Community bicycle repair programs may know which bicycle helmets are the good ones and are up to date on their safety requirements.
Otherwise, local sports programs, like bike advocacy groups focused on cycling or outdoor activities may accept helmet donations.
Reusable Grocery Bags
Thrift shops get a lot of bags because people use them to package up their donations, says Traxler. In reality, these items add to thrift shop clutter.
“We try to sell them, but only about 10% of the nicest ones are marketable,” she says. “We also try to give them to people buying items from the shop, but we always have too many.”
Instead of donating reusable grocery bags, keep them. You never know when they can come in handy for grocery shopping hauls.
Where to Give Away Reusable Bags
Contact animal shelters, libraries, schools, and food pantries to see if they would like your gently used reusable bags. They should be cleaned (the washing machine is fine) and in good condition before you donate them.
Broken Mirrors
If you have a beautiful antique piece with a minor break, you might be tempted to donate it. However resist the urge.
“Broken mirrors are associated with bad luck and simply won’t sell,” says antique shop owner Marlise Kast-Myers. “Plus, cracked or chipped glassware can be dangerous with shards and is otherwise unusable.”
You can try to repair the cracked glass to keep the mirror. Or you can upcycle it.
Vacuums
Sadly, the world is full of crummy vacuum cleaners.
“Even if they turn on, they tend to have poor suction, are clogged, have a broken belt, or are missing attachments,” says Traxler.
And to be honest, most of the vacuums she sees donated are filthy by the time they arrive. Hence, avoid donating your vacuum cleaner, unless it is still in its packaging and unused.
YouTube abounds with videos on how to repair vacuums, says Traxler, so you can try to learn how to fix the vacuum and keep it. Or, if your vacuum really is a lost cause, the right thing to do is to take it to small appliance recycling program.
Read the original article on The Spruce
