With peoples’ recently changing attitudes towards charity shopping, how many donations actually make it up for sale?
Susan, a volunteer for the Norfolk Hospice charity in Fakenham since 2011, said that they receive ‘a mixture of clothes and brick- a- brack and hundreds of glasses’.
Susan said that their best-selling item was the clothing and agreed that charity shopping has become increasingly popular over the last decade.
She also stated that ‘lots of people use [the shop] as their bin’ and told me that the waste can cost them money to get rid of.
It is known that fast fashion waste is a disaster to the planet, with particular brands such a Shein and H&M producing significant amounts of this pollution.
Such pollution ends up all over the world, including beaches in Ghana, where, according to The Or Foundation, 15 million garments arrive each week.
Furthermore, a volunteer from another charity shop in Fakenham who wishes to remain anonymous, explained that their shop can only sell the higher quality items of clothing they receive; as people who now come charity shopping expect a higher standard experience than what was perhaps the typical or stereotypical experience in the past.
The volunteer agreed too that people use charity shops as a waste centre and told me about how overcrowded recycling centres are becoming.
They also stressed that leaving donations outside of charity shops after opening hours is classed as fly-tipping, and is a frequent occurrence.
Most importantly, it was made evident to me that charity shops are desperate for volunteers; as despite asking the community, there is a low response to their cries.
I was told that volunteers can work as little as two-hour shifts, and any basic training needed is provided.
These organizations urge you to reach out, as not only will you meet new people but also give back to the community and wider population in ways that you did not realise.
