Like everyone else, you've used the recent lockdown to do some cleaning. You now have bags full of clothes, gear, and appliances that you no longer need.

Since sending them to the landfill isn't an option, you're looking for places to donate them.

We're here to help.

This article will provide you with a list of 13 places where you can donate clothes in the United Kingdom.

But first, let's look at some statistics on why donate rather than send to landfills.

Why Donate?

One way to reduce your impact on the planet is by minimizing the number of things you send to landfills.

In the UK, over 336,000 tonnes of clothing and textile end up in landfills yearly. Donating helps to reduce this amount.

By donating, you also get to support different charity organizations that donate clothing to people in need or sell them and use proceeds to fund programs.

Now that you know why to donate rather than dispose, here are 13 places to drop off your cloth donations.

Where to Donate Clothes in the United Kingdom

#1. Gift Your Gear

Do you have outdoor gear and clothes that's been gathering dust in your garage, wardrobe, or attic?

Maybe a Northbound Jacket or adventure pants that don't fit you anymore

Why not donate them to Gift Your Gear?

This UK-based charity organization provides outdoor clothing and equipment to UK community organizations, charities, and groups working with young people.

If you have any outdoor clothing that you don't wear anymore, you can drop them off at any of the 57 locations around the country.

For other gear, you can post directly to them.

#2. British Heart Foundation

How would you like to contribute to helping rid the world of cardiovascular diseases while helping to conserve the environment?

Donating to the British Heart Foundation is one way to do this.

Thanks to their online shop, this charity organization sells clothes donations and uses profits to fund research and provide help for those with heart disease.

To donate clothes, you'll have to download a print-out form, fill in your details, and drop off your donation at your nearest Collect+ drop point.

#3. HEART UK

Another British Organization with a goal to rid the world of heart disease is HEART UK.

HEART UK aims to reduce early deaths from cholesterol and other blood fat problems that can lead to cardiovascular disease through education programs for adults and children.

By donating clothes, you help fund the HEART UK programs.

To donate, go to the iCollectClothes website and schedule a pickup. ICollectClothes picks up the clothes and gives € 200 to HEART UK for every ton collected.

If you're in Birmingham, you can also use the Angel of Mercy door-to-door recycling program to donate to HEART UK. Donating through Angel of Mercy helps HEART UK raise €2100 monthly.

#4.  Age UK

Age UK is a British Charity organization that helps older people.

The organization works to combat the loneliness, isolation, and social exclusion faced by many older people around Britain today.

If you're passionate about helping the elderly and have high-quality clothes that you no longer wear, Age UK could be the perfect place to donate.

They accept men, women, and children's clothes and later sell them. Proceeds are used to fund Age UK programs.

You can drop off your donations at any Age UK shop around the country.

#5. Salvation Army UK

Salvation Army is an international charity that supports those in need in the UK and abroad. The Salvation Army has been active in the United Kingdom since 1865, providing clothing, food and shelter to those who need it most.

With over 8000 donation bags, charity shops and donation centres, Salvation Army runs one of the largest clothes donation operations in the UK.

Donations are then sold, reused, or recycled, and proceeds used to fund different Salvation Army projects in the UK and globally

To donate, drop off your clothes at a Salvation Army charity shop, donation centre or donation bin. To donate by post, send all clothes and accessories that are clean and in good condition to The Salvation Army Drop Point.

#6. Islamic Relief

Islamic Relief is an international charity that provides relief and rehabilitation to frontline communities in more than 40 countries.

They run a clothes recycling scheme where people can donate unwanted clothing, shoes or accessories such as belts, jewellery and handbags.

The charity then sells the clothes and uses the money to fund humanitarian projects in different countries.

You can drop off your donations at any of their 13 charity shops or 230 drop-off stations. You could also schedule a home pickup if you can't get to a drop-off centre.

#7. Little Lives UK

Little Lives UK is a London-based charity that helps children with disabilities and those living in poverty.

The charity runs a clothes recycling scheme where you can donate unwanted clothing.

The clothes are then donated to families and children in need or sold and profits used to support campaigns. Clothes that can't be sold off are sent to developing countries.

To donate, schedule a charity collection, and Little Lives UK will come and pick up your donations.

#8. Oxfam

Oxfam UK is a charity organization that aids people living in poverty across the world.

They also work to tackle injustice and inequality by campaigning for social change, lobbying governments, and running programs tackling education, health care, and food security.

Their clothes recycling scheme allows you to donate any high-quality clothing, shoes, and jewellery.

Donations are then resold in Oxfam charity shops, and profits used to fund Oxfam programs. Damaged clothes are sold to recycling plants and used to make mattress stuffing and soundproofing.

You can send donations via post.

#9. Sense

Are you passionate about helping people with disabilities?

Donating unwanted clothes to Sense could be one way to do this. On a mission to help people with disabilities achieve their true potential, Sense accepts all sorts of donations, including Christmas gifts you don't want.

Donations are then resold at their charity shops, and funds used to support training and advocacy for people with disabilities.

Donating clothes is also relatively easy.

With a free pass label, all you need to do is pack up your clothes and drop them off at any Collect+ store.

#10. British Red Cross

The British Red Cross has been running a cloth recycling program since 1918, helping to collect more than 12 million items each year with an 80% success rate at selling them on.

You can drop off unwanted clothes at any of their shops across the country. Donations are then sold off, and profits used to support red cross humanitarian activities.

And here's the best part!

Red cross accepts fashion-forward, anti-fashion or vintage pieces.

#11. Shelter UK

Through s=Shelter, you can donate clothes to those who need them most.

Shelter is a charity organization that supports people facing homelessness or insecurity in their homes. They also offer advice on housing needs such as the benefits system, private renting, homeownership, and so much more.

Donations go directly into shelters across England.

You can donate anything. From clothing, beddings to toiletries.

However, high-quality clothing is sold off at their charity shops, and proceeds are used to fund campaigns, education, and support people facing housing issues.

To donate, request a free pass label from the Shelter UK website. With this, all you need to do is drop off your clothes at any Collect+ store.

#12. Re-Fashion

Re-fashion UK is on a mission to make sure no clothing ends up in the landfill.

This online fashion store is helping to support sustainable fashion by keeping women's clothes in the loop.

If you have clothes that you no longer wear, you can request a donation bag from the re-fashion website. Once the bag is full, you can then post it back to re-fashion.

In a couple of weeks, your unwanted clothes could have a home in someone's closet.

Funds collected from the sale of clothes are used to support the Rieves Foundation.

#13. Traid

Traid is on a mission to help turn waste clothes into funds and resources to help support sustainable fashion.

With over 1500 charity cloth banks, home collections, and charity shops, the organization has diverted over 3000 tonnes of textile from the landfill.

Thanks to their hardworking team, Traid collects waste clothes, hand sorts them and resells them based on quality.

Funds from the sale of donated goods are used to support projects, including improving the lives of people working in the textile industry.

And here's the best part.

Donating is extremely convenient.

All you need to do is schedule a home pickup, and Traid will do the rest.

Don't Send Unwanted Clothes to the landfill

It's time everyone played their part in the fight against climate change.

One way you can do this is by reducing the number of items you send to the landfill.

This article has provided you with a list of 13 places where you can donate clothes in the UK.

If you know of any other place where our audience can donate clothes, please tell us in the comment section.

If you have any questions or comments regarding where to donate clothes in the UK, please leave them in the comment section below.

And if you're looking to add more clothes to your closet after donating, please check out our online store here.

Until then, happy donating.

Upwards and onwards with Northbound Gear.