Useful Links
As a business, Snowdrop Organising is passionate about supporting local, national and international charities, to promote the re-use, up-cycling and re-homing of items wherever possible. We aim to be as close to zero waste as we can.
The following list of links, although not exhaustive, gives an idea of the kinds of organisations who may be able to help us give your excess belongings a new home and valuable new purpose:
N.E.S.T
Based in Harwich, N.E.S.T is a small registered charity taking direct action to help struggling families and individuals in our community. They source and provide essential furniture and household items, including beds, bedding and kitchenware. In the past year they have delivered essential goods to over 370 families & individuals. This has included more than 116 Beds and 190 Kitchen Appliances, all saved from landfill!
Tools with a mission
We are a UK-based charity headquartered in Ipswich, Suffolk, with multiple centres across the country. Our mission is to empower individuals living in extreme poverty in Africa to create their own livelihoods. We achieve this by sending trade tool kits filled with tools commonly used in skills training centres. These kits offer trainees an avenue to overcome poverty permanently and start their own sustainable careers.
We send approximately 17 containers loaded with refurbished tools collected from various locations in the UK to rural African communities each year. Our efforts significantly impact the environment, preventing about 225 tonnes of tools from ending up in landfills in the UK annually.
Emmaus
Emmaus Colchester provides a home and meaningful work for up to 31 formerly homeless people. Our purpose-built community offers a comfortable home, while our three shops, cafe and warehouse, provide work and generate the funding to keep our community going. Our shops are full of amazing second-hand furniture, homeware, books and fashion and each item we sell is diverted out of landfill and into a new home! We collect donations of unwanted items and re-sell them to support our charity but also to help the environment!
We have a wonderful team of companions and volunteers who skilfully transform furniture that needs a bit more love at our on site workshop, the shabby shack! Emmaus also offer whole house clearances.
Smart Works
Smart Works is a UK charity that exists to give unemployed women the confidence they need to reach their full potential, secure employment and change the trajectory of their lives. Our service relies on interview appropriate clothing to help a woman feel equipped, confident and more likely to succeed at interview.
Supporting Smart Works by donating your high-quality workwear and accessories is a simple action you can take which makes a huge difference.
Become a part of another woman’s success story by donating the pieces you think could boost her confidence and help her to succeed at interview. We will always accept high-quality, nearly new clothing, shoes, handbags and accessories.
Smalls for All®
Smalls for All® is a charity that collects underwear for people in Africa and the UK who can’t afford or can’t get any. Because dignity matters. We operate from the UK and support charitable organisations working on projects in Africa and the UK who are able to transport and distribute the underwear we collect.
Pants must be new. We collect all sizes, but those we need most are ladies size 8-14, children aged 3-15 or men size XS-L. And while we collect all colours, the ladies’ pants in greatest demand are black – full brief, midi, mini or high leg (in the smaller sizes). We also collect new or gently worn (laundered) bras of any size, including sports and nursing bras but not cropped-top style or bikini tops.
DropPoint
DropPoint is the platform that connects you to local charities and community groups, with 154 charities requesting 957 different items across 87 UK cities. Charities need specific items to support their work. Search for the items you wish to donate, browse the requested items, or search for local charities. By decluttering your home and donating your items to be re-used by our charities you are reducing landfill waste.
Items accepted include: make-up and toiletries, arts and crafts materials, children’s items and toys, electronic and office equipment, sports and musical equipment, and much more.
Recycle to Read | Get books for your school
Recycle to Read Toys is a UK-wide campaign that encourages families to recycle broken hard plastic toys at participating Tesco stores in exchange for Planet Care Points to obtain books for schools. The campaign is run by Wastebuster, in association with Tesco, Collins, and Products of Change, with the aim of promoting sustainability and reading for pleasure. They accept small broken hard plastic toys (e.g. cracked buckets, plastic cars) that fit inside a shoebox. Toys can include small amounts of other materials like screws or hair but must be clean, dry, and unbagged.
Party Kit Network
The Party Kit Network is a nonprofit social enterprise helping make celebrations more sustainable by reducing waste and increasing access to reusable tableware.
The idea began in 2019, when founder Isabel Mack heard about someone lending out a box of reusable tableware so neighbours didn’t need to buy their own. Inspired, Isabel discovered over 40 similar kits across the UK and saw the potential to connect them. Within weeks, the Party Kit Network was born. The network quickly grew, reaching 250 members in six months. In 2021, membership was open worldwide.
Loved Before | Eco-Friendly Toys
Loved Before is a sustainable soft toy adoption agency in London, giving pre-loved toys a new life while promoting eco-friendly practices.
Founded by Charlotte, who was inspired by her volunteer work in charity shops to create a sustainable solution for discarded toys. The company focuses on recycling and repurposing soft toys, ensuring they are cleaned, repaired, and packaged sustainably before being rehomed. Each toy often comes with its name, story, and photos, preserving sentimental value for the new owner.
Mission and Sustainability
The mission of Loved Before is to reduce waste in the toy industry and educate future generations about sustainability. By reusing preloved toys, the company avoids unnecessary production of new toys, which typically consume large amounts of oil, water, and synthetic materials. Packaging is recyclable or biodegradable, and the organization supports charitable causes, including Make-A-Wish UK.
Textile Take Back Scheme – Help Reduce Waste | Dunelm
Dunelm’s Take Back Scheme allows customers to recycle or donate unwanted home textiles, clothing, and bulky items either instore or online, supporting reuse and reducing waste.
How the Scheme Works:
Prepare your items: Bag or wrap clean home textiles, clothing, shoes, and accessories. Items can be ripped or torn but must be clean. Bedding, cushions, blankets, and throws from any brand are accepted.
Drop off: Bring your bagged items to a participating Dunelm store.
Sorting and reuse: Items are sorted for reuse or repurposing. Smaller textiles may be recycled, while larger items like furniture or mattresses may be handled through partners such as The British Heart Foundation or Clearabee.