How Donating Unwanted Homeware Reduces Waste and Helps Communities.

In the UK, we throw away an astonishing 1.6 million tonnes of bulky waste every year, including furniture, appliances and other homeware. And the worst part is – over half of it could be reused or recycled. Far too many items that still have life left in them end up in landfill, contributing to a growing environmental crisis.

At We Are Repairs, we’re on a mission to reduce waste by supporting repair, reuse, and responsible donation. If you’ve got homeware items that you no longer need or want, here’s why choosing to donate your items rather than throwing them away is such a powerful step in the right direction.

1. It Keeps Items Out of Landfills
When you donate instead of discard, you help cut down on the over 670,000 tonnes of furniture (1) that are sent to landfill each year in the UK. Much of this waste is in usable condition – and disposing of it not only wastes materials, but also produces greenhouse gases and pollutes local environments.
Every reusable item diverted from landfill helps reduce the UK’s carbon footprint and pressure on waste infrastructure.

2. Someone Out There Needs What You No Longer Do
Over 14.5 million people in the UK (2) are living in poverty, including 4.2 million children. For many of these families, essential household items are financially out of reach.

When you donate, your surplus can become someone else’s necessity. Whether it’s a microwave for a single parent, a lamp for a student, or sofa for someone setting up their first home after homelessness – your contribution matters.

3. It Supports Charities and Builds Communities
Charities and reuse organisations across the UK rely on donated goods to raise funds and support vital services. In 2022 alone, UK charities diverted an estimated 339,000 tonnes of goods (3) from landfill and raised hundreds of millions of pounds for good causes.

Your donation could help fund a number of vital services for people in need, from shelter services to youth outreach or mental health support programmes, turning old items into fresh starts.

4. It’s Easier Than Ever to Donate
Think it’s a hassle? Think again. Many charities and reuse schemes offer free collection for large items, and by creating our donation directory on the website we’re making it easier to find places that accept specific homeware items. Our donation page is divided into the same categories as our repair businesses to help you find what you need fast.

And many of the Charities and businesses listed on our donation directory offer a postal service option to donate the smaller items so there’s no need to wrestle with a skip or make a trip to the tip – donating is convenient, kind and clean.

5. It Inspires a More Sustainable Way of Living
By donating, you’re part of a growing movement toward circular living where items are kept in use for as long as possible. It’s a mindset shift from “throwaway culture” to long-term thinking, and it starts with small decisions like this.

Did you know? If every UK household donated just one unwanted item a year, we could keep over 25 million items (4) in circulation and out of landfill.

Ready to Make a Difference?

If you’ve got homeware items in good condition that you no longer need, check out the donation listings on our website. We’ve curated a list of organisations across the UK that accept everything from crockery and jewellery to armchairs and books.

Together, we can reduce waste, support communities, and build a more sustainable future – one item at a time.

Sources: 1) WRAP (Waste and Resources Action Programme) 2025, 2) Tackling Child Poverty 2023, 3) UK Parliament report 2019 4) SUEZ 2025.