When you’re cleaning out your home to move, renovate or simply declutter, chances are you’ll find a lot of stuff that you just want to get rid of. A lot of this stuff might be in good, working condition, meaning you don’t need to throw it out and contribute to the overflowing of landfills. Instead, you can donate items from your home to a local charity.
That way, not only are you helping keep items out of landfills, but you’re also contributing to the efforts of a local charity to do good work in your community. Check out our quick list of where to donate some common items you may find when cleaning, and don’t forget to take a look at Habitat’s “Where to Donate” series on our blog to learn even more about where you can donate household items in the GTA.
Where to donate used furniture
Furniture Bank accepts donations of used furniture to give to individuals in your community such as individuals and families transitioning out of homelessness, women and children escaping abusive situations and newcomers and refugees coming to Canada.
They’re a great destination for your chairs, tables, bookshelves, sofas, dressers, desks, kitchen tables and more. Furniture Bank offers service to a wide area within the GTA, including Toronto, Mississauga, Oakville, Halton Hills, Milton, as well as Burlington and Hamilton through their partner You Move Me. To learn more about where and how to drop off items, and to get a quote for your pickup online, visit Furniture Bank’s website.
Red Door Family Shelter is currently looking for donations of dressers and wardrobes, kitchen tables, chairs and coffee tables. The organization’s Moving Program is designed to connect families leaving the shelter with donated furniture so that they can spend more of their “start up money” on other necessities. The average cost for a furniture pickup is $100, and Red Door Family Shelter offers pickups from Bathurst Street to Markham Road in the east, and from Lake Ontario North to Lawrence. Visit their website to learn more.
Habitat for Humanity locations in the GTA also accept donations of used furniture, including home and office furniture such as tables, couches, shelving and storage units. Donated items are sold in a Habitat ReStore to fundraise for Habitat’s mission to build affordable homes for local families in need of safe and decent shelter. You can either drop off your donations at a ReStore, or arrange to have your items picked up for free. Visit Habitat’s website to learn more.
Where to donate kitchen cabinets
Habitat for Humanity ReStores also accept donations of used kitchen cabinets, and Habitat offers a helpful kitchen removal service. A team of trained staff and volunteers will either pick up your already disassembled kitchen cabinets, or will deconstruct your kitchen to remove your cabinets — for free! Habitat’s ReStores also accept kitchen sinks. Visit Habitat’s website to schedule your free kitchen removal today. Check out this blog post to learn more about where you can donate other items from your kitchen, including used kitchen furniture, used appliances and junk items.
When you donate to Habitat for Humanity, make sure you give where you live and find your local affiliate. Habitat for Humanity Halton-Mississauga represents Burlington, Mississauga, Oakville, Milton, Halton Hills and Georgetown. Habitat for Humanity GTA serves Brampton, Caledon, Toronto, Scarborough and the region of York. Habitat Durham represents Ajax Oshawa and Uxbridge, and Habitat Hamilton serves the region of Hamilton. To find your closest Habitat ReStore, check out Habitat for Humanity Canada’s ReStore locator.
Where to donate used clothing
The Burlington Humane Society accepts donations of clothing for their stores, Attic and Loft. You can drop off donations during the store’s operating hours. Proceeds from sales at both locations support the costs of maintaining the shelter. Their Loft store is located within their shelter, while Attic is located in downtown Burlington. You can visit the Burlington Humane Society’s website for more information.
Goodwill is another organization which accepts jewellery, bedding, linens, shoes and other textile items. You can donate items in a Goodwill store in Burlington, Oakville and Milton. Donated items are sold in retail stores, allowing local individuals to find employment opportunities. Learn more about donating clothing to Goodwill by visiting their website.
Habitat for Humanity Halton-Mississauga has clothing donation bins in its parking lots to allow you to drop off clothing donations. These items are not sold in ReStores, but rather are collected on behalf of a third-party organizations to allow Habitat to raise additional funds to build more homes in local communities. Visit Habitat’s blog for more information on how to donate clothing.
Where to donate electronic waste
Free Geek Toronto accepts electronic waste in the name of creating greater social and economic justice in the GTA. They recycle cameras, cables, computers, copiers, laptops, mobile phones, LCD TVs and more, and you can schedule a pickup — with a fee — based on your location. Check out Free Greek Toronto’s website to learn more.
Shift Recycling is another organization which accepts donations of electronic waste through drop offs, or pickups if you’re donating from a larger company or other organization. Shift promises to keep 100 per cent of electronic waste out of landfills. Learn more on their website.
Recycle My Cell accepts any unwanted or used mobile device which has the ability to connect to a cellular network, such as used cell phones and their accessories. These donated phones are sent to recycling facilities where they are refurbished or dismantled. Then, the scrap materials are used to build new devices. Recycle My Cell has a variety of locations across the GTA, including in Oakville, Burlington and Mississauga. Visit their website to get more information.
Habitat for Humanity locations also accept electronic waste donations, which you can drop off at your nearest ReStore. Donated electronic waste is sold to a trusted partner organization which recycles the items and provides additional funds for Habitat’s home building projects.
Where to donate used books
Goodwill accepts hardcover and paperback books for their stores, which you can drop off at a donation centre near you. Donations are sold in Goodwill Thrift Stores. The organization also has drop off boxes for post-secondary textbooks, through their Textbooks for Change program. Learn more about how to donate used books to Goodwill through their website.
The Salvation Army also accepts donations of books and media to be sold in their Thrift Store locations. When these donated items are sold, the Salvation Army uses the proceeds to go towards their programs, services and emergency relief efforts. Locate the branch nearest to you and find more information through the Salvation Army’s website.
Habitat for Humanity ReStores are one more place which accept donations of used books. Habitat Halton-Mississauga is currently looking for donations of children’s books, fiction, history, biographies and more used books. You can drop off donated books at the ReStore closest to you.
Declutter and donate today
No matter what you’re in the market to donate, there’s likely a charity or nonprofit in your community that will accept donations of that item from your house. By donating household goods to charity, you’ll save waste from ending up in a landfill, and help a charity fundraise for their mission to do good work in your community.
Why wait? Declutter and donate today.