Donate, swap or sell
Rather than throwing away unwanted goods, why not pass it on and give it a new life? Australians are the second highest generators of unwanted goods in the world. Many items, including clothing, books, furniture, electronics and much more, could be given away or sold. Items put out for kerbside cleanups end up in landfill, so by keeping your items alive, you'll be saving precious natural resources.
Freecycle is a great initiative where you can pass on items to others who could use them, or find goods for free. Visit www.freecycle.org.
Donate to charity
Most charities such as the Salvation Army, The Smith Family, St Vincent de Paul, Lifeline, The Red Cross and Anglicare, accept unwanted household items and clothing in good condition. Before donating, please contact your chosen charity store to:
- Ensure they can accept the items you wish to donate
- Find out the store’s opening hours – please don’t dump items outside the door, as this can be a hazard
- Before donating your clothes to a charity please consider, 'Would you lend the item to a friend?' If not then chances are the charity doesn't want it either. Only The Smith Family will take older clothing items and turn them into commercial products such as carpet underlay. If you are not sure about an item please ring the charity before dropping the item off.
Local charity stores include:
- Asquith - Lifeline, 353 Pacific Highway, (02) 9482 4396
- Berowra Heights - Lions Club Op Shop, 25 Turner Road, (02) 9456 5644
- Hornsby - Anglicare Op Shop, Florence Street Mall, (02) 9482 2973
- Hornsby - St Vincent De Paul Store, 41 Jersey Street, (02) 9477 5022
- Hornsby - Wombat Wardrobe, 1 Jersey Street, (02) 9477 5669
Planet Ark's Recycling Near You website is a great resource for information on what and where you can donate, and much more.
Organise a Swap Party
Swap Parties are the latest way to update without buying new things. At a Swap Party, a group of people get together to swap unwanted items – from clothes to toys, books to sports equipment. Use tokens as currency so it's free for all.
Swap Parties make acquiring new things a fun, interactive activity. They also reduce our environmental impact by reusing items.
Download the Guide to holding a successful swap party - 87kb
Another great way to get rid of your unwanted stuff is to hold a garage sale or participate in Second Hand Saturday.
Visit Planet Ark's website to see the Crop to Swap video about the process that goes into making a pair of jeans.
Second Hand Saturday
Take part in a community wide garage sale. Register your address with us and we'll promote it on Council's website. Find out more about Second Hand Saturday.