Items we can't accept

Clothing

• Nightwear & children’s clothing/fancy dress without correct labels

• Handmade or handknitted clothing

• Animal furs (clothing & non-clothing)

• Used swimwear or underwear (new items can be sold)

• Branded uniforms (school uniform can be sold)

Software and hardware

• Home-recorded videos, CDs, DVDs, software, or games

• Used Mobile phones, PCs, laptops or tablets (new items can be sold)

• 2 pin plug adapters

• Used Drives and SD cards/USB sticks (new items can be sold)

Sharps or weapons

We cannot sell dangerous items for legal and safety reasons.  You can dispose of sharps or weapons via your local police station.

• Sharp gardening tools, scissors

• Any kind of knife, e.g. Daggers (excl. cutlery)

• Sharp, stabbing weapons

• Swords, sword sticks

• Axes, crossbows, catapults

• Firearms including airguns and ammunition, accessories (incl. replicas, unless obviously a toy)

• Knives, daggers, stabbing or martial arts related weapons

• Martial arts-related weapons

• Hunting-related weapons

Sports or exercise safety equipment

New items can only be sold if sealed in the original box

• Used buoyancy aids, life jackets, inflatable dinghies & toys

• Used safety helmets, safety harnesses, riding hats, crash helmets, climbing equipment

• Firefighting equipment, extinguishers, smoke detectors (used or new)

• Bicycles

Heating and cooking appliances

• Gas appliances, cylinders, oil-filled radiators

• Microwaves

• Storage heaters

• Oil and gas AGAs

Furniture and homeware

• Upholstered furniture post 1950s without fire label

• Furniture with missing parts

• Used pillows, duvets, mattresses (new items can be sold)

• Cushions/fillings without fire labels

• Loose sofa covers without fire labels

• Unboxed/unsealed or partially burned candles

• Blinds without original packaging and safety instructions

• Used Hot water bottles (new items can be sold)

• Coat hangers (*accepted at Shop Manager’s discretion to sell)

• Cooling tower or fans

Electricals

• Used mains operated electricals not PAT tested via current process (new items can be sold)

• CRT TVs

• Electric blankets & showers

• Items with a 2-pin plug (the plug should be able to be replaced by a trained PAT tester)

• Items without a double insulated logo on the plug

• Sunbeds & tanning equipment

• Power tools without instructions

• Fridges and freezers

• Washing machines, tumble and washer dryers

• Large garden appliances e.g., lawnmowers

Children’s items

• Cot bumpers/drop side cots

• Used mattresses (incl. cot, crib, pram) (new items can be sold)

• Used cots, carrycots, cribs, cradles (new items can be sold)

• Used table-mounted chairs, safety gates (new items can be sold)

• Used baths, bouncers, walkers, cycle seats (new items can be sold)

• Garments with drawstring hoods (unless drawstring is removed from clothing)

• Used children's shoes (new items can be sold)

• Used breast pumps, sterilisers (new items can be sold)

• Used monitors (new items can be sold)

• Prams/pushchairs if checked against guidance

• Self-feeding pillows

• Car seats or booster seats

• Soft toys (without CE/UKCA mark)

• Small magnetic toys

• Toys - sports equipment, vintage toys, puzzles over 500 pieces and collector’s items labelled as “for 14 and above” age (without CE/UKCA mark)

• Toys - Lego, Playmobil, Meccano, Fisher-Price, and Hot Wheels (without their outer packaging which may carry the CE/UKCA marking instead of on the toy itself)

Miscellaneous

• Anything incomplete

• Chemical items (cleaning agents, solvents, adhesives etc)

• Any cigarette and drug-related items (ashtrays, lighters, branded clothing/cards, etc)

• Prosthesis, dentures, etc

• Flammable items (firelighters, spray paint, fireworks & accessories, petrol or diesel fuel, fuelled equipment, etc)

• Prescription or general medications (incl. vitamins, drugs, poisons, weight management supplements)

• Animal specimens, e.g. rabbits’ feet, eggs, live or dead animals, or any items from the CITES endangered species list (e.g. tortoiseshell, ivory/bone)

• Counterfeit (fake) items

• Used Pierced costume, branded, fine metal jewellery (new items can be sold)

• Plant seeds

• Used Personal appliances (e.g. foot spas) (new items can be sold)

• Perishable goods (incl. all food and drink)

• Prescription eyewear or sunglasses without UVA/UVB Mark

• Glasses and sunglasses (frames only, without lenses)

• Pornographic/adult material, toys & accessories

• Manual shaving kits

• Mobility items (e.g. scooters, wheelchairs, walkers, bath aids)

• Culturally insensitive items (incl. ethnic caricature dolls, anything depicting swastikas or racial wording. Can also be depicted in older items such as children’s books, e.g. Rupert the Bear, Noddy, Enid Blyton, Dr Suess)

• World War 2 gas masks (please follow disposal guidance set out in the FAQs(PDF, 99.4 KB))

• Used make up, nail varnish, creams, perfumes (sealed items can be sold)

• Used medical devices – i.e. blood pressure monitors (new items can be sold)

Find your nearest recycle centre

There are several other ways in which you can dispose of items we can’t accept, such as local selling groups and social media pages, food banks, removal services​ and recycling centres, as well as other local council services.

Find a recycling facility