It's Finally Time To Deal With The Clothes You've Cleared Out During Lockdown

The urge to organise the entire contents of our home and wardrobe is stronger than ever as we continue to adjust to life during coronavirus. Maybe you've come over all Marie Kondo as you decide which of your possessions "spark joy", and which need to be let go (after thanking them for their service, of course). It seems like a productive use of time, but as you pack them up ready for the charity shop, we're wondering, can you still donate and recycle old clothes during lockdown?

Well, as of June 15 you will be able to donate to some charity shops once again. At the start of the UK's move into lockdown, thousands of charity shops and recycling centres across the country had to close. Yet, following the government's May 25 announcement that it would be further easing lockdown restrictions, shops in the UK will be permitted to open from June.

Before you race down to the charity shops with heaps of unwanted clothing, though, charity shop bosses are asking the public to “be thoughtful about the sorts of things you're donating". Speaking to the BBC News, Robin Osterley, chief executive of the Charity Retail Association said that he expected charity shops to be "full to bursting" in the coming month.

Oxfam, which had to close 650 high-street stores due to the pandemic, has asked people to stagger their donations once they reopen. Per the BBC, Oxfam have yet to decide when they will reopen and, via the charity’s website, they are asking people to still “hold onto those items and donate them when shops and donation banks are open again."

However, other charities are gearing up to reopen some high-street shops in June. Per BBC News, the British Heart Foundation will reopen a “small number” of shops “mid-June", children’s charity Barnados “will be opening 70 stores at first, with a number of new safety measures”, and Cancer Research UK “plans a phased-reopening from June 29.”

With an influx of new donations expected, charity shops have had to adopt new safety measures for both shoppers and volunteers. For keen thrifters, it’ll be welcome news that new clothing donations are expected to be “quarantined for 72 hours,” reports BBC. Speaking to the BBC, Vicki Burnett, senior consultant at the Charity Retail Consultancy, reassured the public that charity shops “already have great hygiene processes in their shops when it comes to sorting goods – items are washed, steamed or cleaned and this will only increase in the current situation."

So, that's the old clothes situation covered. What about other junk that you might have accumulated during lockdown?

If you’ve been elbow’s deep in home improvements over the last couple of months, and are now harbouring a heap of unwanted household items as a result of nationwide recycling centre closures, signs say you may be able to get rid depending on where you live. While it was first suggested people "avoid doing large DIY projects or clear outs unless you have space to store your waste” as of of May 1, some tip sites have begun to reopen across the UK.

Pressure to reopen came after members of the public began dumping rubbish illegally — and back in April the UK saw “a 300% increase in fly-tipping, per ITV News. Naturally, this sparked pleas to open waste sites across the country.

Per The Sun, on May 4, Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick stated he was asking councils to “plan the organised reopening of household waste collection sites.” Since, recycling centres in Northern Ireland have reopened, and Scotland is prepared to open its recycling centres on June 1. “Sites in Greater Manchester and Bolton opened again on May 2, but with social distancing measures in place - including a one-in-one-out policy,” shared The Sun.

It’s best to check with your local council before you head out to the dump and most would suggest to only travel if absolutely necessary to prevent queues and over-crowding.

If you’re worried about overwhelming charity shops with donations once they reopen, then it's worth checking out the latest collaboration between Thrift+ and Farfetch. The luxury fashion platform has teamed up with the second-hand donation service, to help people sell their best second hand clothing (with a huge emphasis on best). They've made it as easy as possible, with free collection and delivery, while Thrift+ manage sales, too – all you have to do is pack up the clothes. You can then donate two-thirds of the proceeds to a charity of your choice, and use the remaining amount as Farfetch credit, or just donate full proceeds to charity. “Simply order a thrift bag, fill it up and they will collect it,” the website explains.

There are plenty of other ways to support charities during the pandemic. You can still donate money, or volunteer time to talk to those who are vulnerable over the phone. Beauty Banks is also worth checking out, a very cool organisation which has made super easy for you to donate beauty products to those in need.

There are some good sites to buy second-hand fashion online, if you're missing your usual thrift shopping. Or, perhaps now is the time to embrace upcycling, bringing new life into old clothes. Learn how to repair holes, replace missing buttons, turn worn-out jeans into denim shorts (in the hope that the sun will take the hint and reappear) – there are thousands of how-to videos online for inspiration.

And so as not to overwhelm charity shops as they start to reopen, it might be a good idea to invest in some space-saving storage options – we recommend vacuum packs – for clothes that will eventually be destined for donation (Amazon, of course, has plenty of options).

This article was originally published on April 28, 2020