Join the decluttering movement and donate pre-loved items to charity

Taking your unwanted items to a charity retailer is a perfect sustainable solution for decluttering enthusiasts.

With December and January being a busy time for unwanted gifts, the public are being encouraged to continue with their generosity in donating unwanted items.

The British Heart Foundation (BHF) has said it has seen a rise in shop donations this month following the hit Netflix show, ‘Tidying up with Marie Kondo’ – a decluttering show now urging more people to join the movement.

In the show, Marie Kondo, a world-renowned tidying expert, shares her innovative method ‘KonMari’ for clearing out clutter in a series of home makeovers.

BHF says the reaction to the show is reflective of a growing awareness of sustainability issues among its supporters, many of whom are motivated to donate their quality items to avoid them ending up in landfill.

Charity retail ranges from clothing and accessories, bric-a-brac, books, videos, DVDs and CDs and cutlery and household products. Pet treats, toys and beds are also welcome at RSPCA charity shops.

In larger charity shops such as the British Heart Foundation on Yorkshire Street, Rochdale, Emmaus in Rochdale Exchange Shopping Centre, Petrus on Hamer Lane, Rochdale and the RSPCA shops on Old Hall Street, Middleton and Market Place, Heywood, items of furniture, electrical items and furnishings and accessories are encouraged to be donated.

Larger items such as furniture can sometimes be collected from your home for free by a driver for the charity, by prior arrangement.

If you want to avoid items ending up at landfill whilst supporting local shops, you can donate to the following charities:

Emmaus – A recently opened department store in Rochdale Exchange Shopping Centre, Emmaus is a charity working to tackle homelessness in the local area whilst working to deliver social, environmental and economic benefits in the community.

Grace’s Place - Forget Me Not Children’s Hospice - Provides support to more than 650 children in Bury, Oldham or Rochdale who are living with life-shortening conditions.

Petrus Community Store – Residential and day support services for people in need of housing throughout the Borough of Rochdale.

Reuse Littleborough – Since its inception, Reuse Littleborough has helped change the lives of many people both locally and internationally with your old items. The team supports local needs such as the Rochdale Foodbank and the Red Box Project, as well as international needs like Forever Angels, a home for babies in Tanzania.

Springhill Hospice – A 16 bedded facility in Rochdale that provides specialist palliative care from diagnosis to end-of-life.

With over 40 charity shops and voluntary organisations within the Rochdale borough, you are guaranteed to find a charity who are always happy to receive good quality unwanted items.

Last year, British Heart Foundation shops turned unwanted items into £30 million that could be spent on research to improve the lives of those 7 million people across the UK struggling every day with heart and circulatory diseases – whilst saving 70,000 tonnes of items from ending up on landfill.

To find a charity shop near you, visit our business section:

• www.rochdaleonline.co.uk/business/C/135/charity-shops