Donating is a wonderful impulse, truly. You get to clear out your space and help a good cause. It feels like a total win-win. But hold on a second. What if I told you that some of those well-intentioned donations are actually causing more harm than good? When we donate items that are broken, unsanitary, or unsafe, we’re not giving a gift; we’re passing on a burden. And that burden has a real, staggering cost.
Think about this: in a single year, Australian charities have to spend $13 million just to dispose of unusable donations. Every stained shirt or broken toaster contributes to that bill. For textiles alone, ResearchGate says that the disposal cost that charities must bear is approximately $45 per ton in the US.
This is the donation boomerang effect. You give something away thinking you’re helping, but it comes right back to the charity as a cost. First, volunteers have to spend precious time sorting through unusable junk, time they could have spent on the charity’s actual mission. Second, that material takes up limited, valuable space in a stockroom while it waits to be disposed of. And third, the charity must use money from its budget—money that was intended to feed people, provide shelter, or fund job training—to pay for a trip to the landfill. Your “gift” just cost them money.
Mattresses & Box Springs
What should we do with our worn-out guest room mattress that needs to be replaced? Your neighborhood thrift store will most likely reject it. Charities have placed mattresses and box springs near the top of their lists of items they refuse to accept donations from.
The “Why Not”
The reasons are straightforward. The primary concern with donating mattresses is related to hygiene and sanitation. Second-hand mattresses are breeding grounds for various unpleasant organisms, including dust mites and allergens, as well as mold, bacteria, and the feared bed bugs. Charities avoid the risk of transferring these problems to their patrons and destroying their reputation. Alongside other concerns, various state regulations governing the sale of used bedding create legal challenges that non-profits must navigate.
A significant amount of waste results from this situation. According to CNBC, landfills across the United States receive approximately 20 million mattresses annually, contributing to substantial waste accumulation. When you donate your old mattress to charity, you simply transfer the negative impact of disposal to them because they incur fees to take it to the landfill.
But here’s the thing: Your mattress need not end up as one of many landfill occupants. Improper disposal turns mattresses into a threefold environmental hazard. Mattresses occupy excessive landfill space because they remain bulky after compression, with some estimates indicating they occupy up to four times more space than other materials. Also, metal springs from mattresses can become dislodged and entangle expensive landfill machinery, resulting in significant damage and operational difficulties.
What to Do Instead
Recycle It Through a Program: Your best option is to locate a program that specializes in mattress recycling. The Mattress Recycling Council (MRC) is a non-profit organization that successfully runs the Bye Bye Mattress program across California, Connecticut, Oregon, and Rhode Island. The organization has successfully recycled over 15 million mattresses, a notable achievement. Their website and resources, such as Earth911, enable you to locate nearby recycling facilities.
Use a Junk Removal Service: When you lack access to a drop-off location or are unable to transport your item, a junk removal service like 1-800-GOT-JUNK can be a lifesaver. They will come to your home to pick up your mattress for a fee and ensure it gets appropriately recycled while doing all the heavy lifting. Recyclers melt the steel springs into new products while the wood frame is processed into mulch, and the foam padding is repurposed as carpet underlayment.
Find out if the store has a take-back program when you purchase a new mattress. Inquire with the retailer to learn whether they offer a mattress take-back program. Numerous retailers provide removal services for your old mattress and box spring when delivering new ones, which may incur a nominal fee or be provided at no charge. It’s the easiest option of all.
Used Pillows & Stained Bedding
Donation centers reject any used pillows and all bedding products, such as sheets, blankets, and comforters, that exhibit noticeable stains or physical damage.
The “Why Not”
It all comes down to hygiene. Charities have to market goods that people genuinely want to purchase and use, since no one wants to sleep on a stranger’s faded pillow, which has been washed multiple times.
What to Do Instead
Call Your Local Animal Shelter: The most excellent and heartwarming option available. Old pillows, towels, and blankets that seem useless to us are essential cozy bedding for animals at many animal shelters, veterinary clinics, and wildlife rehabilitation centers. Animal welfare agencies such as the SPCA of Texas and LA Animal Services maintain wish lists that include these essential items. Just be sure to call ahead first!
Find a Textile Recycling Bin: Don’t just toss them in the trash. You can recycle your old pillows and bedding. Locate a textile recycling service available in your locality. Thousands of drop-off bins operated by the American Textile Recycling Service (ATRS) are available throughout the country to collect these items. Textile recycling programs can transform stained or torn fibers into valuable products such as industrial cleaning rags, insulation material, or carpet padding.
Child Car Seats & Bike Helmets
This category is non-negotiable. Thrift stores should never receive used car seats or bike helmets from donations. This rule represents more than a guideline because it serves as an essential safety requirement.
The “Why Not”
Two main factors drive this decision: safety and potential liability. Charities cannot access information about an item’s past usage. The design of a car seat enables the protection of children in the event of a single crash. That’s it. A minor fender-bender can have hidden stress fractures in the plastic, which damage the structure and make it unsafe for future use.
Every car seat features an expiration date, which typically falls 6 to 10 years after its manufacture date. The plastic becomes brittle when exposed to heat and sunlight throughout its lifespan, while the harness webbing loses its strength. An expired seat is an unsafe seat. Bike helmets function based on the same principle as they are constructed to endure only one collision.
Charities cannot accept these items due to the unknown risks associated with them. The American Academy of Pediatrics, together with other child safety specialists, advises against buying used car seats because they present significant safety hazards.
What to Do Instead
Find a Trade-In Program: This is your best bet! Several big-box retailers host trade-in events. USA Today mentions that the Target Car Seat Trade-In Event stands out as the most well-known of its kind, taking place twice a year. Expired or damaged car seats qualify for a 20% discount coupon at retailers for new car seats and some other baby gear items. Walmart offers comparable programs, and it’s a good idea to stay informed about their promotions.
Check for Manufacturer Recycling: Some brands are taking a leading role. Clek provides a mail-back recycling program for its car seats, which might include a fee for the recycling kit. TerraCycle works with multiple brands to offer recycling solutions for baby products.
Dispose of It Properly: If recycling or trade-in options are unavailable, take steps to disable the seat. Before you toss it, make it completely unusable: Destroy the seat by cutting the harness straps and slicing the seat cover, then eliminate the foam and write “EXPIRED” or “DO NOT USE” in bold letters on the plastic shell using a permanent marker.
Old & Broken Electronics (E-Waste)
Do you have an old heavy tube TV stored away in your basement? The printer that hasn’t worked since 2011? That tangled mess of mystery cords? Please, don’t drop them off at Goodwill.
The “Why Not”
The majority of charities are unable to process donations of old electronic items that are either broken or obsolete. Such items exhibit minimal resale value, posing handling difficulties due to their weight and requiring costly disposal methods. Numerous electronic products contain hazardous substances, such as lead and mercury, that require specialized processing techniques. There is also a significant data privacy risk. Without wiping a computer, phone, or tablet before donating it, you risk giving your personal information away to someone who doesn’t know you.
The discarded electronics you own contribute to the substantial and troubling narrative known as the e-waste tsunami. The problem extends beyond your clutter, as e-waste represents the fastest-growing and most hazardous type of domestic waste worldwide. The numbers are mind-boggling. The 2022 e-waste output reached 62 million tonnes, with its generation rate increasing five times more rapidly than recycling capabilities. The worldwide recycling rate remains distressingly low at only 22.3%.
What to Do Instead
Use Retailer Recycling Programs: Major retailers offer excellent recycling programs that users find easy to operate.
Best Buy: They are a champion in e-waste recycling. Households can recycle three items each day at Best Buy, regardless of the original purchase location. Their recycling program accepts a variety of electronic goods, including TVs, computers, cables, and cell phones. The small fee of $29.99 applies only to larger items such as TVs and computer monitors, while recycling most other products remains free.
Staples: Staples provides an excellent solution for recycling outdated office equipment, including printers, computers, and shredders.
Look for Manufacturer Take-Back Programs: Legislation in multiple states now mandates electronics manufacturers to offer free recycling solutions for their products.
Dell Reconnect: The collaboration between Dell and Goodwill represents an excellent partnership. You can bring any brand of computers and computer accessories, including monitors and printers, to Goodwill locations, where they provide free recycling services.
State-Specific Programs: Check your state’s environmental protection agency website. The Texas Recycles TVs and Texas Recycles Computers programs provide links to each manufacturer’s free mail-back or drop-off recycling programs through brand lookup functionality.
Large, Damaged, or Pet-Soiled Furniture
Every household has at least one problematic piece of furniture, like the uncomfortable couch that has an unidentified stain, the shaky bookshelf, and the dresser that collects pet hair. It feels like there must be someone who needs it somewhere. Charities often face a significant burden when handling certain types of furniture donations.
The “Why Not”
Thrift stores require furniture items that are either “gently used” or in “good” condition to facilitate quick sales. Charities typically reject items that are broken or badly stained, as well as torn pieces covered with animal fur and objects with missing components. Many places enforce strict size and weight restrictions by rejecting items that weigh more than 50 pounds or oversized furniture, such as large entertainment centers and metal desks, which often have poor sales records.
What to Do Instead
Hire a Junk Removal Service: The most straightforward approach when furniture cannot be repaired is to engage a junk removal service to handle disposal. The paid service covers both the physical removal and proper disposal of the furniture.
Rent a Dumpster: Renting a small roll-off dumpster offers an affordable and convenient solution when you have multiple large items to dispose of during a major cleanout.
Find a Scrap Metal Dealer: You can transport metal furniture, such as bed frames and outdoor sets, to nearby scrap yards for recycling. Metal recycling will occur at the scrap yard, where you could earn some money from your donation.
Try DIY Repair or Upcycling: Get creative! Applying a fresh coat of paint along with new hardware or refinishing the top surface will completely rejuvenate an old piece of furniture. This option stands out as the best sustainable choice available.
Offer it for Free as a “Project Piece“: Be honest about the item’s condition. Share your item on Facebook Marketplace, Buy Nothing groups, or Freecycle within your local area. Mention that the item is either a project piece, requires repairs, or can be used for parts. Creative DIY enthusiasts often seek out items that require restoration or repurposing.
Hazardous Materials (Paint, Chemicals, Cleaners)
It is essential to avoid placing hazardous substances in donation bins under all circumstances.
The “Why Not”
This act raises serious safety concerns, as well as legal and environmental issues. Charities often lack both the necessary licensing and proper equipment to manage hazardous substances, such as toxic or flammable materials. Examples of hazardous materials include leftover paint, pesticides, household cleaners, automotive fluids, propane tanks, and batteries. When donors give hazardous materials to charities, it puts volunteers and staff at risk and leads to complex disposal problems for the organization.
What to Do Instead
Find Your Local HHW Facility: Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) facilities provide the correct method for disposing of these materials. Local governments usually provide permanent drop-off locations and organize special collection events throughout the year for waste disposal. By searching your local government’s website or using Earth911 as a resource, you will discover the location information.
For Leftover Paint:
Use It Up: The most environmentally friendly choice is to use the paint directly. A second application of paint will complete your project. Painting a closet offers a practical use for leftover paint, or you can start a small DIY craft project.
Give It Away (If Usable): Give usable leftover paint to someone who could benefit from it, like a friend, neighbor, or a local theater group. Habitat for Humanity ReStores frequently accept usable paint donations.
Dry It Out: Water-based Latex paint can be thrown away with your household garbage once it fully hardens. In a well-ventilated area, open the paint can and add absorbent substances, such as kitty litter, sawdust, or paint hardener, until a dense and chunky mass forms. After drying the mixture to a solid state, you can dispose of it in the trash, but remember to verify your local disposal rules first.
Consider a Mail-Back Service: WM’s At Your Door Special Collection® provides a paid service that allows customers to dispose of various hazardous materials such as paints and automotive products directly from their homes.
Used Makeup & Toiletries
It’s wasteful to dispose of the partially used lotion bottle along with the lipstick shade that didn’t suit you and the eyeshadow palette that has a broken color. Do not place these items into the donation bag.
The “Why Not”
Opened beauty or personal care products are a potential breeding ground for bacteria and germs when used. Charities and shelters reject used personal care items from their clients because they can’t tolerate health risks. They need to avoid contamination risks and cannot accept such products.
What to Do Instead
Donate (But Only If It’s Unopened): This is the key distinction. Community programs and women’s shelters welcome donations of unopened, unused toiletries and makeup products, provided they are in their original packaging.
TerraCycle is a Game-changer: They work together with L’Oreal, Garnier, and L’Occitane to provide complimentary mail-in recycling solutions for their packaging materials. Zero Waste Boxes from their company allow consumers to recycle all their mixed-brand beauty containers in one place.
Retailer Take-Back Programs: Many beauty retailers accept their used containers for recycling. Visit stores such as Aveda, Kiehl’s, Lush, and MAC to learn about their recycling programs.
Dispose of the Product Properly: Avoid pouring creams, lotions, and makeup down drains since their chemical components can cause water pollution.
Opened or Expired Food
During pantry cleanouts, people often feel inclined to assemble a “donation” pile from items they will not consume. Food banks enforce strict rules to maintain food safety.
The “Why Not”
Food banks and pantries reject all food packages once they have been opened. The potential for significant contamination exists in open food packages, and food banks cannot verify the safety of their contents for consumption. Homemade items and uneaten food portions are subject to the same restrictions. Food banks usually refuse products with expired “use by” or “expiration” dates, even though they may take canned or boxed goods past their “best by” dates, which only affect quality.
The golden rule from the experts at Feeding America is simple and powerful: As you select items to donate, consider whether you would serve those same items to your family members. Donations should only include items you would consume yourself. Food banks often discourage donations of glass jar items because they tend to break easily and can cause contamination throughout an entire food shipment.
The discarded food from homes and other places contributes significantly to a national crisis. One-third of the total food supply in the United States remains unsold or uneaten. This food waste translates to billions of dollars lost annually, with estimates ranging from $218 billion to $473 billion according to Feeding America.
The United States lost $382 billion in food waste in 2023, which represents 1.4% of its total GDP. Food waste accounts for the most considerable portion of landfill contents, where decomposition generates significant amounts of methane gas that contribute to greenhouse gas emissions. The expired can of beans you have in your pantry is a small aspect of a significantly larger issue.
What to Do Instead
Composting is the most environmentally friendly option for dealing with spoiled food. Through composting, food waste becomes a soil enhancer while preventing landfill methane production.
Offer It to Your Community: Your open bag of flour remains unused? You purchased a spice exclusively for one recipe, which remains unused in your pantry. These items are perfect for sharing. Post your items on a local Buy Nothing Facebook group or give them to people you know, such as friends and neighbors. You will be able to find someone who will gladly take those items from you.
Find a Community Fridge: Neighborhoods across many areas now feature community refrigerators, which enable people to donate unused food items so others can claim them at no cost. Community fridges offer excellent opportunities to distribute perishable goods and properly sealed leftovers that food banks cannot accept.
Stained, Torn, or Unwearable Clothing
In your wardrobe, you might find a stained t-shirt from spaghetti sauce that won’t come out, jeans with a hole in an unflattering spot, and a sweater damaged by excessive dryer use. These clothes have outlived their wearable life.
The “Why Not”
Charities sell donated clothing items to support their organizational operations. A stained or ripped item that is beyond repair will not sell. Charities then pay to remove any clothing that is unsellable due to damage or wear and tear. Do not donate clothes to charity if you wouldn’t accept them as a gift for yourself to wear.
What to Do Instead
Recycle, Recycle, Recycle!: Recycling is the most effective solution for textiles that are no longer wearable. Recycling facilities can process up to 95% of all used textiles for reuse or recycling, despite damage such as tears or stains. Recyclers find these items valuable because they can be transformed into industrial wiping rags, carpet padding, and insulation materials for homes.
Where to take them:
Goodwill: Goodwill is a significant force in textile recycling, often overlooked by many individuals. After sorting through clothing donations, Goodwill sends unsellable items to outlets or textile recyclers. Place unwearable clothes into a separate bag marked “Rags” or “For Recycling” before adding them to your donation pile.
Brand Take-Back Programs: Several clothing retailers operate proprietary recycling initiatives. Locate recycling bins available at retail locations including H&M, The North Face, and Patagonia.
Local Drop-Off Bins: Your community probably has textile recycling bins located in school parking lots or near churches and grocery stores.
Upcycle and Repurpose: Get your scissors ready!
Transform old cotton t-shirts, along with towels and flannel sheets, into highly absorbent cleaning cloths. These homemade cleaning cloths outperform paper towels without any expense.
Repurpose old jeans by turning them into fashionable cutoff shorts or a stylish denim skirt, while you can also create a sturdy tote bag from them.
Create patchwork projects or quilting with colorful fabric remnants, which can also serve as stuffing material for DIY pillows and pet toys.
Incomplete Puzzles & Games
You dedicated hours to completing the 1,000-piece puzzle but found that the final piece was missing. It’s the worst! Resist the urge to take your frustration out on other people.
The “Why Not”
It’s simple: You cannot use a game or puzzle if it lacks necessary pieces. Charity volunteers lack the time needed to count each game piece or card, so they frequently discard boxes they suspect are incomplete.
What to Do Instead
Donate for Parts (with a Label!): Apply a large label that reads “INCOMPLETE – FOR PARTS” to the game box and offer it for free through sites like Freecycle or local Buy Nothing groups. A fellow gamer or crafter out there probably needs that exact piece to finish their collection.
Get Crafty with the Pieces: Incomplete games offer an abundance of materials for creative DIY projects.
You can attach magnets to Scrabble tiles and use them as fridge magnets to display messages or turn them into personalized coasters and nameplates.
Use the colorful, solid game board as a wall decoration or create a handmade journal cover and serving tray.
Create unique jewelry items, keychains, or wine glass charms from interesting game pieces such as small metal Monopoly tokens.
Recycle Broken Plastic Toys: When plastic toys have irreparable damage and cannot be reused, find specialized recycling options. You can buy TerraCycle’s Toys Zero Waste Box to recycle all types of old toys. Several toy manufacturers, including Hasbro, offer free mail-in recycling programs to dispose of toys.
Used Medical Equipment
Discarding crutches after a sprained ankle or a walker from your relative’s recovery period feels wasteful, as they remain unused. Your local thrift store should not be the destination for your donations.
The “Why Not”
Mainstream charitable organizations such as Goodwill and the Salvation Army cannot accept donations of medical equipment. The category of donations that cannot be accepted includes walkers and crutches, as well as wheelchairs, shower seats, disposable items, and prescription-required items. The main reasons for this restriction stem from concerns about health safety and legal accountability. Their operations lack the necessary resources to sterilize medical items adequately and guarantee flawless operational status.
What to Do Instead
Find a Specialized Medical Charity: Your donation creates a significant impact through these specialized channels. Organizations exist that focus on gathering medical equipment for repair and then distributing it to those in need worldwide.
Project C.U.R.E.: The remarkable organization gathers donated medical supplies and equipment to send them to healthcare professionals in developing nations throughout the world. Their operations include distributing medical items ranging from crutches and wheelchairs to hospital beds and surgical supplies.
MedShare operates similarly to Project C.U.R.E. by reclaiming excess medical equipment to support underserved global populations.
Look for Local and State Reuse Programs: Durable Medical Equipment (DME) Reuse Programs operate in numerous states and counties. Residents receive gently used equipment for free after these programs sanitize and repair donated items. Search your state’s Department of Aging or Department of Health websites to locate similar programs.
Recycle Broken Equipment: Electronic medical equipment that cannot be repaired requires proper recycling procedures. METech serves as a specialist medical equipment recycler, managing devices beyond repair through responsible material recovery and secure data destruction.
Firearms, Ammunition & Fireworks
This one should be obvious, but it needs to be said loud and clear: Charities never receive donations consisting of firearms, ammunition, or fireworks.
The “Why Not”
These items violate the law while exposing charity workers, volunteers, and the general public to extreme danger. Firearms, ammunition, and fireworks should never find their way into donation bins or thrift stores.
What to Do Instead
Contact Your Local Police Department: The best way to dispose of unwanted firearms safely and responsibly is through your local police department. Use your local police department’s non-emergency line to learn about their weapon surrender process. The police department will provide detailed guidance on how to complete the process safely and securely. Never simply take the weapon to the station.
Look for a Gun Buyback Program: Many communities host gun buyback programs that allow individuals to surrender firearms to law enforcement agencies in exchange for money or gift cards, without any questions. These programs provide an effective method for removing unwanted firearms from public circulation while ensuring safety. The Safer Neighborhoods Gun Buyback Act is a federal bill that seeks to allocate additional funding for local gun buyback programs.
Dispose of Ammunition Safely: Never, ever throw ammunition in the trash. A round of ammunition dumped in garbage could be accidentally fired by the pressure of a garbage truck’s compactor, which creates a deadly risk. Do not bury ammunition because its lead content has the potential to pollute soil and water. The most effective disposal methods include taking the ammunition to your local Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) facility or contacting a local shooting range to dispose of it properly. A variety of ranges will take in old or defective rounds for proper disposal.
Anything Recalled by the CPSC
The baby crib stored in the attic and that old playpen from ten years back may look like good hand-me-downs, but they can pose significant safety risks.
The “Why Not”
The law prohibits the sale or donation of products recalled by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) because it is dangerous. The Consumer Product Safety Commission discovered defects in these items, which create serious risks leading to injury or death. Older baby gear items, such as drop-side cribs, which have been banned along with certain strollers and high chairs, are most commonly associated with safety defects.
What to Do Instead
Check the CPSC Website First: Make sure to visit CPSC.gov and run a recall search before using any older baby gear or products.
Follow the Recall Instructions: The notice will provide clear instructions if your item appears on the recall list. The manufacturer may offer a refund option, provide a complimentary repair kit, or deliver a replacement product.
Dispose of It Properly: You need to disable the item so that it becomes unusable by anyone else. This will prevent it from being returned or repaired. You should dismantle car seats and trash-bound items, or otherwise render them unusable, to prevent someone from retrieving them from the garbage and endangering a child.
Upcycle It! Transform the item into something new and safe if it is constructed from quality materials. You can turn the old crib into a beautiful porch bench or a distinctive bookshelf for your child’s room.
Key Takeaway
Whew, that was a lot! But now you’re armed with the knowledge to go from being a “wish-donor” to a true donation champion. The goal, after all, isn’t just to get rid of our stuff; it’s to help the organizations we care about genuinely.
Remember the donation boomerang effect: a bad donation doesn’t just disappear. It costs charities real money, time, and space—resources that are pulled directly away from their vital missions.
So, the next time you declutter, take that extra five minutes. Contact your local charity or visit their website to determine donations they need and accept accordingly. Use the innovative, sustainable alternatives we’ve talked about for everything else. Your thoughtful choices will ensure your generosity truly lands as a gift, not a burden.
And always keep this brilliant piece of wisdom from fundraising expert Mark Phillips in mind: “They are not your donors; you are one of their charities.” It’s a powerful reminder that giving is a privilege, and when we do it right, we can make a significant difference in the world.
Disclaimer – This list is solely the author’s opinion based on research and publicly available information. It is not intended to be professional advice.
16 Best Jobs for Pregnant Women
16 Best Jobs for Pregnant Women
Pregnancy is a transformative and joyous period in a woman’s life, but it comes with unique challenges and demands. One of the most crucial aspects during this time is ensuring a healthy work-life balance.
Finding the right job during pregnancy is not just about earning an income; it’s about maintaining your health, well-being, and peace of mind.
