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What to do with things you don't want

Offer to others - online

• Darebin Hard Rubbish Heroes Facebook group can be used by residents of Darebin and adjacent suburbs, to offer (and request) items for free, and you can ask questions about the best places to give away, sell, repair or dispose of items.

• There are many Buy-Swap-Sell Facebook groups – search on Facebook for your suburb or 'Buy Swap Sell'. 

• And check for Good Karma Network FB groups in your area.

Sell 

Why not make a little money? People might buy the items you no longer want. Popular places to sell online are eBay, Facebook Marketplace and Gumtree. 

If you're not familiar with selling on these platforms, you could ask for advice (or maybe ask for some help) on a local good karma network Facebook group.  You can search for nearby groups on the Good Karma Effect website 

Donate

Op shops, charities and not-for-profits

• A great resource for local ops shops is the City of Darebin op shop map. If you have items to donate, it's worth a phone call first to check they are able to accept what you're offering.

• There are lots of op shops and charities in Darebin. Scroll down to see some of the charities that Darebin Hard Rubbish Heroes supports that are located outside Darebin but support people within Darebin. ,

• Darebin Neighbourhood Houses support their communities and may accept things you are wanting to give away. Call them or look up their websites to see what they might be in need of.

• See places you can donate or sell usable items (on the Darebin Council website)

Clothing and textiles

Diabetes Victoria can collect usable clothing. This is a free service but Diabetes Victoria receives money for the donations by selling them to Savers – and funds go towards diabetes research and programs. 

Textile Recyclers Australia can collect textiles for recycling, repurposing and upcycling. There is a charge as this is a business that includes recycling, and research & development – turning textile waste into a resource.

Upparel can collect clothing and textiles for reuse and recycling. There is a charge as this is a business that recycles (reprocesses) textiles to make a recycled and recyclable material that can be used for packaging, signage and homewares. They also provide usable clothing to Australian charities, social enterprises and not-for-profits.

Furniture 

Man with a Van has a list of charities in Melbourne willing to take items in good nick and redistribute them to households in need. 

Reduce waste in other ways...

The Sustainable Darebin Map on the City of Darebin website, has organisations and businesses in Darebin that are helping reduce waste in many different ways. Examples include, places you can donate batteries, businesses that single-use-plastic free, and places you can donate and buy second-hand.

Repair

Visit the Darebin Repair Cafe Facebook page to see when the next repair cafe is running. The repair cafe is run by volunteer fixers who repair broken household items with the item's owner. They run every second month in different Darebin locations. 

Ask on the Darebin Hard Rubbish Heroes Facebook group for repair recommendations. 

Darebin recycled goods shop (tip shop)

The recycled goods shop at the Darebin Resource Recovery Centre (the tip) accepts donations of many household items. The website lists items that can be donated to the shop for resale, and items that are accepted at the tip for safe disposal or recycling.

If it really is rubbish...

Find out where to recycle or dispose of items properly in Darebin, on Darebin A to Z waste and recycling guide (pdf on Darebin City website)

Some of the charities we support