‘I love charity shops but there’s side to them many people don’t see’

Kay McKnight admits she loves charity shops, and supports them as much as she can. However, she felt the need to show people a side to them that many don’t see

So many people around the country use charity shops, but there’s a side to them that many people don’t see when it comes to donations. Kay McKnight recently opened up about the little-known shopping fact, as she was left taken aback by a recent discovery.

A few days ago she posted a video on TikTok to highlight a particular issue she’s noticed lately. Alongside the clip, she explained she’s “not anti-charity at all” but, after finding something near a local store, she was curious to discover what other people thought about what’s currently happening at charity shops, as the recent find made her ask a lot of questions.

It left her wondering if charity shops are overwhelmed, or whether we are donating too much of the wrong stuff. She’s not the only charity shop fan to have noticed a problem lately either.

In the clip, Kay said: “This is the side of charity shop donations most people don’t see. This is a Biffa bin, which is behind a well-known charity shop brand and, it got emptied yesterday, and it’s already full of donations.

“Now a lot of you will be saying to me ‘but Kay, it’s probably stuff that they can’t sell’. Now, there were some really good kids toys here.

“There was a whole bag of Lego Duplo. There was Plushies, there was decorations. There were some shoes that didn’t look like anything was wrong with them, yet they all ended up in the bin.

“Why? Is it because they are charging too much for stuff, so they can’t take the donations? And also, what are your thoughts?

“Do you think charity shops should be throwing them in the bin? Isn’t the whole point of it supposed to be that we need to be sustainable?

“Is there not charities that we can give it to? Anyway, give me a comment and let me know what you think.”

The video has been viewed hundreds of times since it was shared, and dozens were quick to comment too. People had all sorts of ideas, which Kay was keen to hear, as she’s a big fan of charity shops.

One person said: “People donating broken tat that then ends up costing the charity money to dispose of it. If you have broken stuff, chuck it in your own bin at home.”

Another added: “I am an active volunteer at a charity shop. We often throw away toys that don’t go up to safety standards, often broken or unsellable if been out on the shop floor for a while. I’m not a professional in this, but often we throw things away to move priority to new donations to make more sales.”

A third replied: “A lot of things are left by the door at charity shops so then they can’t put them out if it’s rained.” Meanwhile, a fourth commented: “Duplo should not end up in the bin. That stuff can be washed and donated elsewhere.”

One more offered a different perspective though, writing: “Charity shops are charging too much now. Even Primark T-shirts that have been worn are more expensive than the new ones in the shop.”

Why do charity shops do this?

There are a number of reasons why charity shops may throw things away, though each case will be different. They often discard donations because a large percentage is unsaleable.

For example, they could be damaged, stained, broken or dirty as people sometimes use the shops as “a free disposal service”. Some other elements can also impact this.

Limited, often full, storage space, high sorting costs and low-quality items (such as fast fashion) also mean they can struggle to process the volume. They sometimes pay to landfill items that cannot be sold or safely recycled.