Waste Not, Want Not

The Blue Door Charity shop welcomes donations of all shapes and sizes. But what happens to those which are not re-sellable? Our Blue Door Charity Shop Manager, Pamela McBain, explains more…

When we receive donations, our volunteers sort and price the best quality items ready for display in the shop, hand-picking saleable products to promote as many sales as possible in support of CWT.

With our high volume and turnover of donated goods, the shop needs to ensure it has space to accept new donations and keep stock interesting for customers. As a result, lower quality donations and items which have not sold after 3 weeks on display [with the exception of higher value items] go to a professional recycling company based in Glasgow.

Clyde Recycling collect up to half a tonne of bags and boxes from the shop every week, donating for the weight uplifted; you may have seen these lined up outside! Clyde Recycling have a strong recycling ethos and want to help avoid unnecessary landfill and environmental damage. They also believe in helping to clothe people who really need it and export second-hand clothes all over the world including Africa, Europe and South America. For more specialised donations such as small electronics and phones, the shop uses ‘Recycling for Good Causes’ who raise funds for us on the items donated.

More locally, we have a wonderful volunteer who sorts and prices jewellery, re-purposing broken items to create new pieces for sale. We also help other charities through our customers, by donating old bras to help women in Africa through one customer and unsold warm jumpers, jackets and shoes to another who volunteers at Street Friends Aberdeen. Excess baby and children’s clothing/shoes are donated to Deeside Christian Fellowship who send these to help children in Romania. This helps us further support those in need due to hardship or distress from their social or economic situation as well as those who are suffering from illness, disease or disability.

With all these available options, the Blue Door shop aims to ensure that as many donations as possible are reused or recycled should they not be sold in the shop.