We recently wrote a blog post about the best gift you can give a teenager on our other blog so check it out here. This got us thinking about sustainability and what we should do with our old items and unwanted presents. Check out our best sustainability tips for donating unused and unwanted items below.
Donate your beauty products
During our teenage years, we often find that we experiment with new styles and make-up looks as it’s all part of finding our identity and growing up. But this can mean that make up and beauty products go unused if we’ve grown out of them, or they didn’t suit us. Did you know you can donate your new or lightly-used make up and beauty products to a variety of women’s refuges and young peoples charities to help those who are in need? Some of our top places to donate unwanted beauty items to are below. If your country or local area isn’t listed, why not do some research into where you can donate your unwanted make-up?
- Give away your beauty and make up products in the UK to Drop Point or in the USA to Beauty Bus.
Donate your clothes
Our teenage years are a time for growing and changing which means we often grow out of clothes before we’ve got enough wear out of them and our styles may change too. Most clothes cannot be recycled through traditional recycling methods so extra care must be taken when disposing of old clothes. Why not sort through them and decide which items still have life left in them? If they’re partially worn or like new, then give them away to your favourite local charity shop. Alternatively, use local clothes recycling banks which can be found at most supermarkets. Here in Spain you can donate unwanted clothes using Humana containers.
Donate books and school books
Once you’ve finished your studies you may have no need for your study books and research material. Why not ask your school if you can give the books back to them to help out any students who may be unable to afford new books? Alternatively ask your parents to use Facebook market place to advertise your books to families in the local area. Charity shops will also take books in good condition so give away your books to a good cause.
Donate electronics
Electronic waste is extremely toxic so it should never end up in landfill. The great thing is there’s many places which will accept donations of working and broken electronics that will give them new life, or dispose of them responsibly. If your electronics have a re-sale value then you could sell them second hand using Ebay, or other similar websites. Research where you can recycle, re-sell or donate your old electronics in your country.
Hold a garage sale
Sometimes there are things we just don’t use or have fallen out of love with. If they’re still in good condition and would love a new home then why not hold a garage or car-boot sale? You can earn some extra money by doing this and it means your miscellaneous items may find a new home in the process.
