Thanks but No Thanks 4 Things not to Donate to Charity

Donating things instead of throwing them away makes people feel good, so good in fact that about 95% of Americans participate in giving to charities such as donating unused and unwanted things. IN 2012 alone there were 87 tons of material that was recycled, unfortunately about 12 million tons of clothes are thrown out each year. Instead of throwing things away, donating them can be beneficial granted you know the donation guidelines. Charity donations are usually grateful for the things they get, but unfortunately there are some things they can’t take, so you shouldn’t donate.


Beauty Products


There is no way to make sure that the product is safe. Even if you’ve never used it before and it is still sealed, there is no way to stop others from opening them and smelling them. This gives bacteria a chance to get in and wreak havoc, causing a consumer safety concern. If you don’t like your makeup or shampoo find someone else who would like it or simply toss it in the trash.

Cleaners

Just because you don’t need those cleaners doesn’t mean someone else might. The problem with donating cleaners is the chemicals. Mixing certain chemicals can cause severe adverse reactions, and that is a risk that most charitable donation organizations don’t want. It is also almost impossible to verify what is on the label is actually what is in the container. This could cause serious problems for anyone who uses the product thinking that it is something else.

Pet Hair

No, no one is going to walk up into a charitable donations site with a bag of pet hair, but the pet hair can travel on donated items. Larger items especially like couches could potentially be covered in pet hair. This can pose a problem for those who are allergic to pets. If you are going to donate something such as this and you do have a pet in your home, opt to not only vacuum it but use a carpet cleaner and thoroughly clean it before donating.

Baby Items

This is another tricky topic. So many times car seats for baby beds, such as cradles and cribs, get recalled. When this happens there is no way for the donation center to verify if that item was recalled or not. Car seats that have been involved in a wreck should not be used or resold either. Donating a car seat makes it virtually impossible to know whether it has been involved in a wreck or not.

This is not an exhaustive list, but it contains some main things, but as you learn how to donate to charity you will learn more of the things that can and can’t be accepted. Learning how to donate to charity provides a sense of fulfillment knowing that someone else can use what you no longer can. Just remember when learning the ins and outs and how to donate to charity that all charities are different and what one charity will take another may not take.