Donate to those in need
TCL is a charity that re-sells good quality furniture and white goods to support Teen Challenge London, an outreach & rehabilitation centre.
Book a free collection for items that are in good condition
Bright Sparks is a reuse charity run based in Canning Town, the shop is called Reclaim At the Lane. It provides the local community with low cost goods which are donated by local residents and businesses. Find out more on the Bright Sparks website.
Book a free collection online for furniture and white goods (fridges etc) in good condition. They also accept smaller items like bric-a-brac, children’s toys, boxes of book if they are collected with furniture.
Email shop@brightsparksonline.com
Bright Sparks donations may be impacted by COVID please see website for details.
UPDATE: Bright Sparks is not collecting items due to Covid-19.
Alternatively, you can find your closest charity shop on the charityretail.org website so you can donate your items. Several charities offer free collections of unwanted clothing and other items straight from your door - for example British Heart Foundation and TRAID.
If your furniture items no longer have the fire safety labels attached, then you may not be able to donate them for reuse.
Donate your unwanted items to the community
You can list most items on websites like Streetbank, Freegle and the Newham Freecycle group.
You can organise a Give and Take day or Swap Shop - find tips on the East London Waste Website.
Make some money from your unwanted items
Items can also be sold on Facebook Marketplace or local swap groups and websites such as ebay and gumtree (link to ebay and gumtree).
Repair, Upcycle and take back schemes
Take Back: Some shops and websites – like AO.Com or IKEA – will take away old bulky items upon request when they deliver new replacements. Sometimes this is free, or costs a small amount, and it means you save time as the old item is gone the same day the new one arrives. If you’re replacing something then try this option.
You can find information on repairing electronic items on the east london waste authority website.
Clothes can be repaired or upcycled – given a new life – by following simple guides on the Love Your Clothes website.
Use a Council service if your item cannot be donated, upcycled or repaired
If your items are not in good enough condition to be donated you can use the Council’s bulky waste service.
You can find a textile recycling bank on our recycling banks page.
You can also take lots of items to Jenkins Lane Reuse and Recycling Centre to be recycled.