As a site we talk about rubbish a lot, but mainly about waste collection and recycling. We’ve said several times that it’s even better if you can find another use for an item than recycling it, and it’s certainly preferable to it ending up in landfill.
Donating old duvets to animal shelters is a great solution because they’re not recyclable, and will find a new role as bedding for rescue animals. It’s great way to take something that’s not able to be recycled and would get thrown away, and turn it into a donation to a good cause.
Animal shelters do amazing work, taking in homeless animals or those that have been mistreated by their owners. Dogs are a common thought when they’re mentioned, but all sorts of species end up homed in these facilities run by good causes.
Why Donate Duvets To Animal Homes?
There are two key reasons why duvet donations make sense for shelters.
Firstly, animal need bedding and many love the smell of humans. No matter how clean your bed covers are when you donate them, animals have an incredible sense of smell. That’s one of the reasons pets love to sleep on their owner’s bed – regardless of whether they have their favourite human for company.
The second benefit is environmental. There are very few places offering recycling for duvets, due to the materials they’re made from and the simple fact that they’re not very hygienic items to handle.
Do You Look After Your Duvet Properly?
On average, people should be cleaning their duvets once every two to three months, however studies suggest that most people do so less frequently, if at all. What’s more, it’s an average because it varies with behaviour. For example men tend to shower less than women before getting into bed, so men typically end up with dirtier bedding before women. No surprise there!
If you like a thick duvet and sleep in a double bed, it’s unlikely that your household washing machine is up to the job of your duvet. That means you’d need to take it to a launderette in order to follow the cleaning advice. It’s easy to see why so many of us just ignore the guidelines.
In time, that leads to duvets reaching the end of their lives earlier than they might if they were cleaned more regularly. Ultimately, we’re throwing away something that’s fairly unhygienic and unappealing to others.
Do Charity Shops Accept Duvets?
Some charity shops do sell duvets to raise money for their causes. However, in this instance it’s not very helpful as we don’t qualify.
Some charity shops accept duvet donations, but only if they are sealed in their original packaging to guarantee an acceptable level of hygiene. Other charity shops do not accept new duvets at all because they take up a lot of space and are in low demand.
Collectively, this demonstrates why animal shelters represent a good end of life for your old duvets.
How To Donate Duvets To An Animal Shelter
When the time comes to get rid of bedding like duvets, don’t just turn up at your nearest shelter armed with a collection of bed-covers. Call ahead, and make sure they need them at the moment.
While it’s a convenient time for you to get rid, it may not be a good time for them to accept your donation.
If you throw your items into a general waste bin, they’ll end up in landfill. If you drop them off to a shelter that’s already overwhelmed with donations, the same might happen as they may lack storage space.
If the duvet ends up in landfill anyway, all you’ve achieved is to pass the problem to a charity, and their time is much better spent on their primary role of looking after animals.
If your local service doesn’t want them right now, they may indicate that they will do in a few weeks or months. If you’ve got space to accommodate that request, that’s great. If not, you can ask if they know of any other shelters in the area that could benefit.
If The Animal Shelters Don’t Need Donations, What Next?
Before heading to the tip, give some though to friends, family and colleagues and who has dogs, cats or other pets that might like a new bed. You might find that you already know someone who has a pet that loves to snooze on old bedding, and what they’ve got now is even worse condition than what you’re offering.
For most people this is likely to be a long shot, but worth a few moments thought before it becomes a gift to landfill.
How To Find A Shelter
If you’re not aware of any local shelters, then there’s a few places you can start.
Asking around is a good idea, as you’ll almost certainly know a few animal lovers in your social circles. I’m always amazed at how many people help out at charities and non profit organisations yet never mention it to me. I’ll typically find out through something totally unrelated.
The most generous people are often the most humble too, so use your Facebook account to ask if anyone you know works with animals, or just quiz people as you bump into them or speak on the phone.
Next, you can try the RSPCA – probably the most well known animal charity in the country. They may or may not want donations themselves, and may also have suggestions for who else to try.
Finally, ask Google. A quick search will almost certainly bring you a good list of nearby animal good causes that you could give a quick call to and someone will almost certainly either want your duvets or know someone that does.
Over time, we’ll add some good causes to our site too, as we’re building a big database of information on all sorts of waste disposal. You can see if we’ve got to your area yet in the counties section of the menu at the top of the page.
