Charity reveals hidden cost of 'unsuitable' donations

A charity has said it is spending about £2,500 a month disposing of "unsuitable" items that cannot be sold or recycled.

Dorset Blind Association runs 12 shops across the county and said it was receiving "increasing numbers" of stained, damaged and broken items.

It said each unsuitable donation "also takes up valuable volunteer time and shop space".

CEO Jonathan Holyhead said the best donation was "something you could genuinely imagine someone else buying and enjoying".

The charity said there was "a genuine misconception that anything donated to a charity shop will automatically be recycled or generate some income".

It said that in the past, it had been able to pass some unwanted textiles to rag and textile companies, "which could generate a small income for the charity".

However, with companies no longer accepting much of the material, charities have to pay for its disposal instead.

The association said good quality donations were "very welcome and make a real difference", adding that it was looking for "clean, good quality items that are complete, in good condition and suitable for resale", including clothing, DVDs and homeware.

It said: "A simple rule of thumb is, 'would I be happy to give this to a friend?', or 'would I expect someone else to be willing to buy this?'."

Holyhead said the charity was "incredibly grateful to the people who donate to our shops and we absolutely want them to keep coming."