What do you do with old stuff? That top you bought for a party three years ago, for example. You wore it once and it's been hanging in your wardrobe ever since. You could throw it away, but that seems wasteful – after all it's still perfectly usable. So, what to do? In the UK, we might take it to a charity shop.
The first charity shops appeared in Britain in the 19th Century. The Salvation Army, a UK charity, was one of the first to run a second-hand clothing shop to provide the impoverished and needy with affordable clothes. This was followed by charities such as the British Red Cross, who also relievedhardship and raised money for the war effort during World War Two. The modern form we know today was opened in 1947 by Oxfam.
These days, charity shops are a common sight with around 11,200 shops across the UK, according to the Charity Retail Association. During business hours any member of the public can donate their unwanted items to a charity shop – clothes, books, electronics, furniture. Most charity shops will take anything. These items are checked for wear and tear and if found still serviceable, priced up to be sold at a heavily discounted price.
For many, this is a win-win situation. To the charity, it means a valuable source of revenue, which they can use to pursue their charitable aim. To the consumer, it provides the opportunity to buy, often extremely cheaply, items and clothes.
Though previouslyowned, they are durable. To the donator, it declutters and may help to assuage consumer guilt. “You can make a pretty good case to yourself that you are doing good, because what you are doing is going towards a charitable cause [and] you are saving stuff from landfill,” Clare Press, fashion journalist and sustainable style advocate, tells the Guardian. Indeed, approximately £140 million worth of clothing alone goes into landfill each year, according to UK charity WRAP, the Waste and Resources Action Programme.
There are sometimes hidden treasures for the buyers, too. On more than one occasion a buyer has purchased something very cheaply, only to later discover its true value – such as a screen print bought for 99p and later found to be by English artist Ben Nicholson. It sold at auction for £4,200. So next time you need to rid yourself of something, spare a thought for the charity shop – after all, charity begins at home!
