Give your items a second life 

There are many organizations in our community that can make excellent use of items that no longer spark joy in your home. Be sure to visit their respective websites to learn more about drop-off locations, hours and each organization's wish list.

 

the KonMari discarding guide

For a comprehensive list of places to donate nation-wide, visit KonMari’s new discarding guide.

 Clothing

  • For high-quality, gently-used clothes, consignment can be a great way to let them spark joy for someone else, while also giving you a little cash back for those investment pieces that you still need. If you have lots of high-quality clothes to consign, this can add up. If you only have a few items, it may not be worth your time. Visit my consigning guide to learn more.

  • Green Drop donation centers are conveniently located throughout the Philadelphia area, but you can also schedule a pick-up. This is a great place for general donations including clothing, books and household items. You can also choose from a variety of different charitable organizations to support, including American Red Cross.

  • Goodwill offers very convenient donation sites with loading docks and people to assist you. This is a great place for general donations including clothing, books and household items.

  • Planet Aid has lots of convenient yellow bins that are great for donated used clothing and shoes. They will recycle what cannot be used. Use this link to find a bin near you.

  • Career Wardrobe accepts gently used women's and men's professional clothes. They have many convenient donation drop-off locations.

  • Nana’s Attic Thrift Store benefits the Domestic Abuse Project of Delaware County. They accept clothing and many other household items. They are located in the Lawrence Park shopping center in Broomall. Please note the instructions for hours of donations and where to take your donations.

  • The Williamson College of the Trades’ Student Clothes Closet is a great place to give new or gently used men’s clothing. Check the website for information on hours and whether they are currently accepting clothing.

  • Cradles to Crayons is always looking for donations for children's clothing and school supplies. They have a central warehouse in Conshohocken for donations as well as several drop-off locations in the community.  

Maternity and Baby Items

  • Mothers’ Home in Upper Darby is always looking for maternity clothes as well as baby clothes up to 24 months, among other items. Please visit their wish list.

Shoes

  • Soles for Souls “creates sustainable jobs and provides relief through the distribution of shoes and clothing around the world.” While there are not currently dropboxes in our area, you can donate up to 20 pairs at your local DSW shoe store or send them in a Zappos return box. For more information on how to donate, click here.

  • Planet Aid’s signature yellow bins are easy to find and a great way to donate shoes. They will even recycle shoes to make pillow stuffing, carpet padding and other products. To find a bin near you, click here.

Books

  • Local libraries - Call your local library to see if they accept book donations. If they don’t, ask them which libraries do.

  • Better World Books sells used books in order to support literacy worldwide. You can use their search function to find a drop box near you.

School and Office Supplies

  • Cradles to Crayons works to provide kids with the essentials they need. They collect at their central warehouse as well as at donation centers around the region. They accept school supplies as well as children’s clothing, toys, school supplies and more.

Furniture

  • Salvation Army will pick up furniture in excellent used condition as well as clothing and other household items.

  • Habitat for Humanity ReStores are home improvement stores that accept small and large donations of new or gently used furniture, appliances, housewares, building materials and more.

Electronics

  • Staples and Best Buy will recycle many types of old electronics and used toner cartridges for free. Please note that Best Buy stores in Connecticut and Pennsylvania do not accept TVs for drop-off.

  • PAR Recycle Works is a social enterprise offering responsible electronics recycling. They have a drop-off center in Philadelphia and offer many recycling events throughout the metro area. Check their Facebook events page for upcoming events.

  • Check retrievr (formerly Curb My Clutter) to see if they offer curb-side recycling for electronics in your municipality.

  • The Delaware Recycling Center offers e-recycling for residents 6 days a week. Check here for location and schedule.

Paper Shredding

  • Shipping and printing stores like FedEx, the UPS Store and Staples do offer shredding services, but they tend to be the more expensive option. Wiggins Auto Tags offers very reasonable shredding services with drop-off centers near the Main Line.

Linens and Towels

  • Providence Animal Center, ACCT Philly and many other local shelters are often looking for linens and towels to care for their animals, among other things like pet food, grooming items, office supplies and cleaning supplies. Be sure to visit their wish lists before dropping off your items.

Other

  • Media Free Store - The Free Store is a great place to donate all kinds of household items, office supplies, kids’ toys and more. The store is run by volunteers and has limited hours, so be sure to check the website for their current hours before visiting. They do not accept food or clothing donations, but you can drop these items off at this same building at the First United Methodist Church of Media during designated hours. 

  • MOM’s Organic Market has an amazing Recycle Center where you can bring everything from batteries to plastic bags to cell phones and glasses. Check their page for full information about all of the materials they accept.

  • College Hunks Hauling Junk has very reasonable rates for picking up donations and household "junk".

  • Philadelphia magazine did an amazing feature in 2017 featuring lots of innovative ways to give your items a second life.

  • To sell items like furniture, china or collectibles, try Facebook Marketplace or Fast Drop Main Line, which will sell your items on eBay for a commission.