These days, most people know about recycling and are keen to give away any furniture or goods that could go to a new home. If you are buying a new bed or sofa then there are a number of Surrey charities that would be delighted to receive your items.
| Charity / Reuse Organisation | What They Accept | Collection Available? | Surrey Coverage / Location | Phone | Website / Donation Page | Important Restrictions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FurnitureLink Surrey | Reusable furniture, white goods and small electrical appliances. | Yes – furniture donation collection and bulky-waste services are available. | Guildford and surrounding Surrey areas. | 01483 506504 | FurnitureLink Surrey | Donated goods need to be suitable for reuse. A separate bulky-waste service may be available for items that cannot be reused. |
| Furnistore | Sofas, armchairs, tables, dining sets, beds, wardrobes, storage furniture, homeware, appliances and electrical goods. | Yes – free collection of suitable donated furniture in its collection area. | Primarily East Surrey, including Reigate & Banstead, Mole Valley and Tandridge. | 01737 773133 | Donate furniture to Furnistore | Items must be suitable for reuse or resale. |
| Furniture Helpline | Reusable household furniture and suitable bulky household items. | Yes – collections can be arranged. | Guildford and Waverley. | 01420 489000 | Furniture Helpline information | Items generally need to be suitable for reuse. Collection availability depends on the service schedule. |
| Kingston Community Furniture | Reusable furniture and household goods. | Yes – furniture and bulky-item collections are available in participating areas. | Elmbridge, Runnymede and Spelthorne. | 020 8942 5500 | Kingston Community Furniture collection information | Reusable donations and paid bulky-waste collections are different services. Check whether your item qualifies before booking. |
| Woking Community Furniture | Reusable furniture and household goods. | Yes – subject to suitability and collection area. | Woking and surrounding Surrey districts. | Contact the organisation before arranging a donation. | Surrey furniture reuse information | Furniture needs to be in a condition suitable for reuse or resale. |
| Emmaus South Lambeth & Croydon | Most saleable household goods including furniture, electrical goods, crockery, books, records and clothing. | Yes – free collection of saleable furniture. | Parts of Surrey and neighbouring London boroughs. | 0300 123 2001 | Donate goods to Emmaus | Items must be saleable. Soft furnishings without appropriate fire labels and unsuitable or unsafe goods can be refused. |
| British Heart Foundation | Sofas, armchairs, tables, wardrobes, beds, TVs, washing machines, fridges and other suitable furniture and electrical goods. | Yes – free collection is available in many areas. | Surrey areas served by participating BHF furniture and electrical stores. | Arrange through your nearest BHF furniture store or online. | Book a BHF furniture collection | Sofas and upholstered furniture normally require the correct permanent fire-safety labels. Items must be safe and saleable. |
| British Red Cross | Furniture, electrical appliances, homeware and other good-quality household goods. | Sometimes – selected shops offer home furniture collections. | Surrey charity shops and furniture donation services. | 01737 760371 | Red Cross furniture donations | Call first for large furniture. Items must be hygienic, safe and suitable for resale. |
| Queen Elizabeth’s Foundation for Disabled People (QEF) | Good-quality clothing, accessories, household goods and other suitable charity-shop donations. | Varies by shop and item. | Surrey, including Leatherhead. | Contact the relevant shop before taking large items. | QEF | Not all shops have capacity for bulky furniture or electrical appliances. |
| Age UK Surrey | Good-quality clothing, accessories, books and bric-a-brac. | No large-furniture collection through Age UK Surrey shops. | East Molesey, Haslemere and Lingfield. | East Molesey: 020 3540 1651 Haslemere: 01428 289030 Lingfield: 01342 457935 |
Age UK Surrey shops | Age UK Surrey does not accept electrical goods or large furniture. |
| Surrey Revive Shops | Reusable furniture, bikes, crockery, tools, garden furniture, sports equipment, TVs, computer monitors, lamps and other suitable reusable goods. | No home collection – items are taken to Surrey Community Recycling Centres. | Selected Surrey Community Recycling Centres. | 020 8329 1030 | Surrey Revive shops | Residents must take the item to a Community Recycling Centre. Staff decide whether items are safe and suitable for resale. |
However, there are a number of conditions
Charities rely on donations that they can sell. They won’t, for example, take old fridges. For sofas specifically, the big four reasons for refusal are:
- No permanent fire-safety label
- Stains, rips or serious damage
- Missing cushions or other important parts
- Too poor a condition to resell
- Too large to store in a shop
BHF (British Heart Foundation) explicitly says its collection crews can refuse sofas with missing cushions, significant stains, tears exposing the filling or other damage that makes them unsaleable. What this means is you can book a collection; some are free, and some have a charge, but the charity might take one look at the item and refuse to take it. This is often a real problem, as collection items have to be left outside the house as close to the road as possible, and if it rains! You can imagine the problem.
Old goods, or damaged items
If your item is not in the best condition and you don’t think anyone would buy it, then this is likely what the charity will think. Whilst the intention is always good to try and give away old items for recycling, in practice it is not always as easy.
If we need a household item removed quickly and responsibly, then call EnviRecycle on 0800 138 9100. We can give you a price and arrange a convenient time. We do all the heavy lifting and get the item out of your house and to the dump, often on the same day if you call before 2 pm.
