
Furniture & Non-electricals
These items are discarded from households and businesses everyday. But if reused or upcycled with care, many of these items can last for decades!
To donate for reuse:
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They do free collections. Check out the store in Mitcham. There are other stores nearby as well.
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The local charity collect furniture for redistribution to those in need. Click here to visit their website.
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Bicycles
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You can donate old bicycles to the Bike Project . They refurbish donated bikes and give them to refugees and asylum seekers.
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Check out Dr Bike to organize free bike checks for your group. Contact Merton council to see when the next session will be held locally.
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Carpets & offcuts - the carpet must be in a reasonable state
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Cork
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Costume jewellry (even broken ones)
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Ceramic tiles (small quantities) - these may also be accepted by reclaimed material vendors. Check out this directory's construction waste page.​
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Paint
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Work & Play Scrapstore, as long as there is more than an inch or so of paint in the bottom of the tin.
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You can also offer them on website called community repaint.
Metal hangers
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Return these to your local dry cleaners – confirm with them first.​
Cutlery
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Any high street charity shop or via social media
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Old yoga mats
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If you are looking for a new yoga mat, Evergreenyogi seem to accept your old ones to help others in need.
Tools
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Workaid is a charity that collects unwanted tools and equipment from across the UK.
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Charity shops (maybe not all, so worth checking). Even rusty ones - although you could try cleaning them up beforehand, e.g. with Coca cola) will be accepted by some charity shops .
Old nails
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Local scrap yard.
Books
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Charity shops, school book fairs, community centres, Morden Hall Park (National Trust) second hand bookstore.
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Tennis balls
No directory in Merton (home to Wimbledon) is complete without a tennis mention!
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You can donate them to local dog charity or send them to recycle tennis who will do that for you
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Recycaball will buy used tennis balls that are in good condition for up to 20p will either re-pressurize them to give them a new lease of life, or pass them on to charities
To recycle:
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Pens (working & used)
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Rymans - have a tub usually at the front of the shop where you can drop off (some maybe in conjunction with Terracycle).
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​Spectacles
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Any Specsavers
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Brita water filter
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At most Argos, Robert Dyas and Homebase provide boxes for the collection of used filters.​
Brands like Ikea have take back schemes.
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Dunelm now has a scheme called Pass it on where they collect preloved textiles, kitchenware & decor, electricals, furniture & mattresses to be re-used, donated or recycled into something new (scheme runs only in specific stores- check their website beforehand).
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Have you thought about borrowing books again from the local library like before instead of buying one?
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Check out preloved.co.uk for their huge selection of everyday preloved items
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Bee Creative Arts - local small business which can also do upcycling.
Daniel’s upholstery - get your furniture upholstered or re-upholstered locally.
If you are looking for office furniture - Check out the local second hand office furniture store on Kingston road (no website).
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