Items we can’t accept in our charity shops

Please check the lists below to find out more about what we cannot accept, or feel free to give one of our shops a call to discuss your donation. 

The most important consideration when selling furniture and homeware is if an item is flammable. When donated items do not have a safety label or instructions, we are unable to safely sell them.

The full list of furniture or homeware we can’t accept includes: 

• upholstered donated furniture without a fire label (unless pre-1950s)
• donated furniture with unsafe missing parts or damage
• furniture with glass that does not have a kite mark or tempered glass
• candles that are homemade or without instructions and safety notice
• duvets and pillows (unless sealed in original packaging)
• soiled or dirty mattresses
• roller or venetian blinds (unless in original packaging with safety instructions included).

These are items that are intended to keep people safe. As we are unable to guarantee that second-hand safety equipment is fully protective, or has not been previously damaged, we cannot accept:

• Safety headgear e.g. all types of helmets and visors
• climbing equipment 
• buoyancy aids, life jackets and inflatable dinghies 
• any mobility equipment e.g. wheelchairs, wheeled walkers, mobility scooters, Zimmer frames, bath aids or hospital beds.

We are only able to sell non-electrical sports equipment which is new and has instructions. This is because if donated items are not in perfect working condition, or aren’t used correctly, they can cause damage. 

We are also unable to PAT (Portable Appliance Test) test large electrical items for safety.

This means we can’t accept:

• exercise bikes
• rowing machines
• running machines 
• cross trainers
• roller skates and ice skates.

We can only sell repaired and tested bicycles which have been upcycled through our Sue Ryder Bicycle Workshop.

Find out which shops can accept donated bikes

We can test and sell a range of electrical items. However, for safety reasons, we are unable to sell:

• laptops, personal computers, and tablets - we can’t ensure they are wiped of personal data
• electric blankets 
• sunbeds and tanning equipment  
• donated white goods - e.g. fridges, freezers or washing machines 
• microwaves 
• personal hygiene items - e.g. shavers and foot spas 
• any power tools - we can’t guarantee that all parts are working and safe for use
• mobile phones
• e-readers. 

We can sell 18-rated items, although for all goods given an age-restricted classification, it is illegal to sell them to anyone below the specified age. This includes computer games where the age rating relates to the content. We therefore may ask you for ID if you are purchasing age-restricted media.

We cannot sell:

• recordings made at home for personal use, whether CDs, DVDs, videos or cassettes
• bootlegs (usually a live recording or studio outtakes, which has not been issued by the record company).

We are unable to sell items that may be unsafe for children. The full list of what we can’t accept includes:

• homemade knitted toys
• cot bumpers, cot mattresses, pram mattresses
• children’s pillows
• cribs, cradles, and reclined cradles
• carrycots and stands.
• baby gates
• table-mounted chairs
• playpens, baby baths, baby door bouncers, baby walkers
• all inflatable armbands and rings worn as flotation aids
• toys without a CE mark
• toys for children aged under 3 must be sealed and in original packaging
• skateboards, roller skates and scooters
• children’s shoes (pram shoes with a soft bottom and brand-new unworn can be sold)
• clothing with hood cords
• nightwear and fancy-dress items not labelled as fire resistant
• car seats, booster seats and seat belts
• child seats for bicycles
• Used Play Doh/plasticine.

We cannot sell dangerous items for legal and safety reasons. This full list includes: 

• sharp knives (excluding cutlery)
• swords (including replicas) 
• Crossbows, bows and arrows or catapults
• guns or realistic replica toy guns 
• ammunition
• sharp gardening and hand tools 
• any other weapons. 

You can dispose of sharps or weapons via your local police station: 

• England
• Wales
• Scotland

Other items we cannot accept include:

• alcoholic beverages (including homemade wine)
• angora wool products
• batteries (even if in original, sealed packaging)
• Books, CDs and DVDs given away free from magazines and newspapers which are clearly marked ‘not for resale’
• CBD oil products (even if in original, sealed packaging)
• Chinese lanterns
• Christmas crackers, party poppers, fireworks, sparklers, lighters (even if in original, sealed packaging) or anything with an explosive device
• cigarettes/tobacco products, including ashtrays and lighters
• counterfeit/fake goods
• crocodile, alligator or snakeskin products
• chemical items
• gas or petrol appliances e.g. gas cookers, heaters or those designed to operate on bottled gas.
• hazardous or flammable substances, e.g. glue, fireworks, aerosols, methylated spirits, chemicals, mercury thermometers
• homemade food or drink
• hot water bottles
• jewellery made from seeds or beans.
• medicines or medications
• military, police, and any company branded uniforms
• motor vehicles or car parts
• oil appliances e.g. oil or paraffin heaters, pressure stoves or lamps designed to use oil
• paint (including aerosol paint) - this does not apply to artist’s paints, which we can sell.
• cosmetics and toiletries; including hair dye and nail varnish (even if unsealed)
• gas masks
• used pierced earrings
• grossly offensive and/or discriminatory material. 

We do not sell or take donations of ivory or real fur.

Contact our National Furniture Line on 0333 003 1883 (calls are charged at the local rate) or contact your local shop.