With the rise of apps such as Vinted, or Ebay, numerous amounts of people have begun to sell their unwanted clothing, rather than putting it all in a charity bag and donating it.
Whilst being able to recycle your old items is definitely a good thing, as it reduces waste and is an easy way to make some extra money on the side, we are left to wonder if charity shops have seen a decline in donations as a result of it.
After conducting a student vote, I found that 84% of students have bought something from Vinted in the last six months, and that 72% of those students would rather try to sell old clothing, rather than simply putting it into a bag and donating it, despite it going to a good cause. Whilst students are stereotypically known for not having much money, we need to collectively think of the ripple effects to making less donations.
Have charity shops seen a fall in donations?
In short terms - yes. In the last year charity shops have seen a decline in not only the amount of donations, but the quality of those donations too. This can be directly linked to us being able to take a few photos and sell any items of decent quality on Vinted so easily, similarly, being able to sell old toys or other various items on Ebay. In 2021, they saw an increase of 10% in donations, however this could just be down to people not being able to donate in the previous year, due to Covid-19.
Why is this an issue?
Recycling old clothing is not, and will not be, an issue, as it reduces waste and means people can pay a much smaller price for an item, they may have had their eye on. However, noticing a decline in the quality and number of items going into charity shops may have a long-lasting negative effect. By decreasing the amount of donations we give, charity shops will struggle to sum up money, as they have fewer donations to sell. Resulting in less support for the people that truly need it. It also means that people wanting, or possibly needing, to buy cheaper clothing will find it harder, unless they turn to buying online.
Despite this, selling and buying on Vinted, Ebay and others is not a bad thing, and is currently boosting the economy. The ability to get rid of your old things and make money off it has hundreds of positive effects, and reduces waste going into landfill, as one person's rubbish may be another’s treasure. However, we need to ensure we are still donating items to charity shops, rather than only selling our unwanted items.