8 places to donate clothes and other pre-loved items in Singapore

UNIQLO

Credit: 123rf

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Guilty of hoarding all the clothes that don't fit you anymore? Well, you can now donate your pre-loved items to UNIQLO. As part of its All-Product Recycling Initiative, the brand aims to maximise the use of unwanted clothing that their customers no longer wear and distribute them to people in need such as refugees and underprivileged people. However, you can only donate used Uniqlo clothing at any Uniqlo store during operating hours and you are also required to wash the clothes prior to donation.

Where: To find your closest store and operating hours click here.

Give your designer bag a new lease of life over at Style Edit by Style Theory. As part of its sustainability movement, you can now consign your items and earn up to 80 per cent of your selling price! All you need to do is to simply Whatsapp the Second Edit with the details of the items you want to sell, and they will arrange a pick up for your items, after which the bag experts at Style Theory will evaluate your items and offer you a quote within five to ten days. And lastly, you can easily list your items on their platforms, and wait for your pre-loved items to find their new home.

Visit their website here for more information.

Did you know Swedish brand H&M has an ongoing recycling drive around the world and in Singapore?

And you can drop off clothes and textiles from ANY brand in ANY condition at H&M outlets in Singapore. Yes, that's right, so we assume even clothing that has more holes than a slice of Swiss cheese will be accepted (not saying that you should).

According to a H&M rep in Singapore, clothes that can be reworn will be marketed as second-hand goods, while those that can't be shredded and recycled to produce new clothes, insulation material, or cleaning cloths.

Simply drop them off at garment-collecting boxes that are usually located next to the counter. But that's not all. In fact, you'll get handsomely rewarded with a 15% discount off one regular priced item per voucher for every bag of clothes donated.

Where: H&M outlets across Singapore

Good news for those who find dropping off your donations too much of a hassle. This recycling initiative collects clean clothes, wearable paired shoes, household linen, and accessories such as belts and bags for resale or recycling.

You can schedule a collection (minimum weight 15kg or about three full large black trash bags), between 9am to 2pm and 2pm to 9pm. Won't be home? No problem, just leave them at your doorstep for the driver to collect.

Or you can bring them to the drop-off points below:

The Green Collective (Funan Mall)
107 North Bridge Road #02-18
Collection on Saturday & Sunday: 11:00 am-9:00 pm

Viva Business Mall
750 Chai Chee Road, Lift Lobby 1
Opening hours: 9:00 am-9:00 pm

NUS Utown Residence (Green Wardrobe)
36 College Ave E, North Tower, Singapore 138600

Fushionopolis One
1 Fusionopolis Way Connexis, Singapore 138632. At B2 North (near toilets), escalator. (Next to MRT )

Fushionopolis Two
2 Fusionopolis Way, Singapore 138634. At Tower B (Kinesis) Level 1 Carpark Lift Lobby

Alexandra Technopark A
438A Alexandra Road, Lobby 2, Level 1, Singapore 119968

Alexandra Technopark B
438B Alexandra Road, Lobby 2, Level 1, Singapore 119968

Valley Point Shopping Centre
491 River Valley Road, Basement 1, lift lobby, Singapore 248371

You can also drop them off at more than 50 stores island-wide (such as Cath Kidston, FOX Kids & Baby, G2000 and Lamalolly)

Metta Welfare Association

Credit: Metta Welfare Association

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The association runs welfare centres and provides daily support to the elderly and those with special needs. Clothing in good condition, belts, handbags, books, newspapers, used computers, laptops, IT peripherals (e.g. hard disks), mobile phones and Li-ion batteries are accepted.

Before dropping off your donations, they request that you put non-electronic items in plastic bags before placing them in the bin located in the basement carpark.

They now also have bins at all Zara outlets in Singapore where clothes from any brands will either be donated or recycled into new textile pieces. Better quality pieces will also be marketed through charitable channels and the funds will be used for social projects by various NGOs.

Where: B1, Lift Lobby of Metta Building, 32 Simei Street 1, Singapore 529950

Opening hours: 7.30am-5.30pm on weekdays, 8.30am- 4pm on weekends

Visit their website here for more information.

Singapore Freecycle Network

Credit: 123rf

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The Singapore Freecycle Network is actually part of a global movement that encourages recycling by connecting people who are giving away or seeking preloved items.

All you need to do is list the items you want to donate on the page and interested parties can contact you directly to arrange for collection. Apart from clothes, you can also donate other items like furniture and electronics.

Join their Facebook page here.

Home: Humanitarian Organisation for Migration Economics

Credit: Facebook/Home: Humanitarian Organisation for Migration Economics

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Home is a humanitarian organisation that aims to help migrant workers who are victims of human rights violations and have suffered from abuse and exploitation.

Apart from providing immediate crisis intervention and long-term support like education and training programmes, they also accept donations for clothes. Other items that they accept include food, toiletries and cash.

Visit their website here for more information. For donation enquiries, drop them an email at ruchita.chheda@home.org.sg

The Salvation Army

Credit: The Straits Times

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The Salvation Army would be a familiar name to most of us and a reliable outlet where you can donate your used clothing, especially if it's the closest to you.

You can contribute clothes, furniture, household goods, electronic devices, toys and books while helping those in need. But did you know that The Salvation Army has a free door-to-door collection service as well? But this is only for bulky items like furniture and large appliances.

To request for collection, e-mail donor@SMM.salvationarmy.org with a brief description of the items you wish to donate, your collection address and contact number, or use the online booking form, or call 6288 5438 (WhatsApp: 8520 5343) for an appointment.

Although it's free, they state on their website that due to rising costs, they will be appealing for an optional donation of $60 for each collection.

Where: For drop-offs, the full list of donation booths can be found here.

This article was first published in Asiaone.