Why children’s hospices like Acorns are paying to throw away your donations

Every week, bags of unwanted clothes, broken toys and damaged household goods are dropped off at charity shops across Britain.

Donors may believe they are helping a good cause. But for many charities, a growing share of those donations are proving costly to process, recycle and dispose of.

Acorns Children’s Hospice, which supports children with life-limiting and life-threatening conditions across the West Midlands, says it spends about £100,000 a year dealing with items it cannot sell.

It is money that could otherwise help fund specialist care for seriously ill children and their families. The charity says its services cost more than £40,000 a day to run.

About 3,000 tonnes of donated goods each year come to Acorns through its network of shops. But roughly a third of those items never make it on to the shelves.

Instead, about 1,000 tonnes are sent for recycling or disposal because they are damaged, stained, incomplete or unsuitable for resale under safety regulations.

The warning comes at a time when children’s hospices across the UK are facing rising costs and increasing demand for services, putting growing pressure on already stretched budgets.

“We are grateful for every donor who comes through the door,” said James Roberts, Acorns’ business development manager.

“But approximately £100,000 of additional costs are diverted away from supporting the children and families we help through specialist palliative care.”