Donating items can be a great way to give them a second chance at life and reduce the amount of waste going to landfill.
But how do you know if something is suitable for donation, or whether you should consider other ways it can be reused, repaired or recycled?
We've put together some handy tips to ensure you only donate high-quality items to Council's Treasure Troves, to help reduce the amount of unusable items these outlets receive.
There are currently two Brisbane Treasure Troves - one in Geebung and one in Acacia Ridge. Both open every weekend from 8am-4pm.
One person's trash is another person's treasure, right? Not always!
Make sure the items you donate are:
- in good, fit-for-purpose condition
- clean
- free of stains and rips
- undamaged (no cracks, chips or missing pieces).
One of the easiest ways to test if an item can be donated is the 'would I give this to a friend' test. If the answer is 'yes', it's more than likely that a second-hand shop will be able to resell this item. If the answer is 'no', it's not ideal for donation.
Repurposing, repairing or recycling
If your item is not suitable for donation, consider other ways it (or parts of it) can be used.
Consider reusing it for another purpose, repairing it, or recycling it if it's at the end of its usable life.
If your item is ready for recycling, check if you can place it in your recycling bin at home or whether it's accepted for recycling at one of our resource recovery centres.
Need inspiration for ways to reuse items that can't be donated? Check out our 31 hacks to revive your home and lifestyle blog for some creative tips on how general household items can be reused instead of ending up in landfill.
Right place
To ensure your pre-loved items get the best chance at another life, make sure they are donated at the right place.
Council's Treasure Troves sell items collected from our resource recovery centres. You can drop pre-loved items for donation to these centres and our expert sorters will determine if they are suitable for potential resale at Council's Treasure Troves.
Donations are accepted at our resource recovery centres every day of the year.
Support a charity
Council's Treasure Troves are operated by the Endeavour Foundation who provide opportunities to people living with a disability.
By choosing to donate items at Council's resource recovery centres for future sale at Treasure Troves, you're not only helping to support a great charity, but also helping to keep Brisbane clean and green by diverting reusable items and materials from landfill.