Marie, it just shows, that there is a higher end clientele shopping there now a days.

People are lots more choosy.

Moni

What really gets my goat is how much waste there is with Medicare/medical etc..My GF son passed away after suffering many years with diabetes,he had to have a wheel chair,and several other necessities provided to him by the mentioned organizations .My GF called them after he passed to find out what to do with those no longer needed things.They told her,they're your,you can keep them,toss them,give them away or whatever you want.

I think that's disgusting,they could have taken them back,sanitised them and passed them on to the next needy person.
We waste far too much in this country from the government on down.
Kathi

Freecycle those things - doing the things Marie suggests is nice but most organizations don't have the money to do that sort of thing. Check out freecycle.com and look for a group in your area.

Mom is still in the hospital, and was drinking 5 bottles of Ensure liquid meal stuff a day. She'd get one with every meal.
She has 14 bottles of Ensure on her window sill. Even if she didn't drink all the Ensures per day, they'd bring her one with every meal. Instead of just taking one of the surplus.

The nurse finally told the kitchen not to bring any more Ensures. They have to throw them out, even though they are unopened, because of her being in isolation (visitors must gown and glove). What a waste. Those things are expensive.

We have Hannah Home for abused children and women.

I have seen huge compressed piles, in the back of their stores, and just figured they were being reycled.

I imagine the labor costs involved are more than people would be willing to pay for the item....it's about the bottom line. I hate to admit it, but rarely buy products made from recycled goods because they cost MORE.

I agree wholeheartedly on this subject. I have a thrift shop and get a lot of things left on my doorstep. I sell what I think will sell,though sales have plummeted in the past couple of years.

Stained, torn clothing, I take off the zippers and buttons. Have you priced buttons lately??? Yikes!

I cut T shirts and unusable clothing into strips and crochet rugs. I hate to throw away anything that I think can be used for something.

Chessey24 is correct. Goodwill and thrift shops do not have the personnel to be repairing and washing clothing or sanitizing used medical equipment.

Freecycle is the way to go for those sorts of things.

While the people shopping at Goodwill may be poor or just thrifty, they do have their pride! They're happy to be able to buy inexpensive used clothing, but they don't want your raggy, dirty old stuff.

People do donate lots of stuff that would be better off in the trash.

Goodwill will take old electronics for recycling - only one in my area is set up to take them, though, so it's a bit longer trip to dispose of them.

When I had my knee replacement, I was given a heavy-duty brace but they had it on my leg for only a few hours, but was told to take it home.....it was mine. But they also gave me no information on when or how I should use it. I imagine it probably cost from $50-75. Our medicare and Blue Cross to the rescue!

We have several small old rental homes.
I can't believe the things people leave behind.
They leave more clothes than I own.
Lots of toys, dishes, pictures (wouldn't you want those?)
Every kind of items.
My house has many "discards" from these "poor" people.
Things I can't use I donate....

"they don't want your raggy, dirty old stuff.

People do donate lots of stuff that would be better off in the trash. "

Ain't THAT the truth!

I too hate to waste anything! I try to use my items until they are on it's last legs, then I try to fix it, or make do. Even then I know that at least the animal shelters take old blankets, towels (they don't care what they look like), so it gets another life for at least a little while.

Everything we donate to Salvation Army or Purple Heart is in decent shape. I won't give them anything that is raggy and dirty.

Why wouldn't the above places/thrift stores mark items down to 25 cents or cheaper (5, 10 cents)? I bet they could get rid of some of it that way. Not much profit, but you'd have volume sales, instead of just throwing it away?

My DH laughs at me, but I've been known to cut open toothpaste tubes for a few more uses etc.

teresava: "I've been known to cut open toothpaste tubes for a few more uses etc". You're a gal after my own heart. I have some cream meds in tubes that I also do that with. Mom always said 'waste not, want not'.

I sort my things VERY carefully before donating.

Shirley

Well, to get the last smidgen of toothpaste/cream out of a tube:

step 1: lay tube flat on counter.

step 2: push down with the back side of a comb, or a sturdy flat edge, from bottom to top of tube (making sure cap is on tight) pushing contents to top of tube. Repeat.

You'd be amazed how much product is lurking in a tube that isn't squeezed really, really flat.

duluth....I do the exact same thing. Always have.

We use Freecycle and the second-hand shops regularly for our unwanted stuff. Everything I pass on is in good, clean wearable condition.

I once threw out some blue jeans that had holes in because I couldn't imagine passing them on. I had a few people tell me that I could have Freecycled them.....just mention that they had holes in the knees, etc.

After DH's open heart surgery, we had so many bandages, tape, sterile gloves, etc. left over. The visiting nurses couldn't take them back - told us to give them to our vet, so we did. Win-win.

I donate a lot to Habitat for Humanity. They will pick up your donations, including furniture and they're so appreciative. With the money they make, they buy building supplies to build houses for people who could never afford it otherwise. But they don't take clothing or old computers/printers. We take clothing/purses and shoes in good condition to the truck that sits behind the shopping center outside our gate. I would never donate anything broken, not working, stained or dirty.

When my husband was in the hospital for his injuries when he fell off the porch roof last month, our SIL said that the hospital throws out the telephone after each person . Can this be true? No wonder we got a big bill for it yesterday in the mail.

I regularly take items to 3 shops that resell for local casuses.

I would never take worn our or dirty items. Those type things are recycled by me. I make rags for my son, ties for plants, wrap them around my outdoor faucets.

My problem is that I always shop while at these places and bring home as much or more than I donated. LOL

Well i'm glad i'm not the only frugal one here.I use lotions that come in the pump bottles and when it stops pumping i get out my razor knife,cut off the bottle and pour the rest into another squeeze type bottle.

I also save some of the bar soaps when they get small,put a couple in the toe of an old nylon and tie one to each of the outside faucets,so i can wash my hands outside.I have to beat dh to them though as he is the exact opposite and throws them away.
Kathi

In Canada we have a place called "Value Village", I can't believe the condition of some of the things they sell, clothing ripped, fadded, holes etc. Household items are broken, or don't work. But yet they sell them and they are not cheap.

I'd run across a "Value Village" somewhere here in the States - just proved to me many people use these places as depositories for their garbage under the guise of donations.

Unfortunately, we're a throw away society... but it shouldn't make the original poster sad no one wants nubs of crayons or pencils (or the other detritus so often cluttering up drawers, etc.). She apparently doesn't want them or doesn't use them up either. Sometimes these useless bits and pieces of all our lives are less anxiety producing if simply thrown away.

Seniors/nursing homes are always grateful for used items such as wheelchairs, toilet aids for getting up and the like. The ones that are funding by the government especially appreciate these items as the individuals often could benefit. My great aunt passed away, we donated her very expensive wheel chair - it had a special gel cushion and other perks to it. Her clothing that was new we donated and the winter coat/boots (new and not worn) are another item greatly appreciated.

So if you have medical equipment that you can clean/sanitize don't be shy to call a few care facilities.

I shop at Value Village - now we are being advised to be careful of bedbugs when purchasing. The charity shops and newspapers have been listing information on keeping purchased items in bags until you can wash them properly or freeze some items. (I would not stick such items in my freezer....eeewwwwwwwwhhhhh.) One of these stores actually had old 18 wheeler trailer cabs full of stuff parked in their lots, sorted - furniture, clothing. Yes some stuff should be chucked completely. They are good at dating their items and moving them out of the store. Some charities donate items to other charities that recycle the materials into usable products. I dunno. I watched the movie "Wall-e" again. Really disgusts me too the amount of waste.

So I do my best for my footprint.