Norfolk & Waveney Freegle

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Places for your stuff

If Freegle has failed to find a taker for your item, don't worry! There are plenty of other places willing to offer a home to your unwanted stuff. We've split them into the following categories:

If you have a link to add, please contact us.

General

What and where can I recycle?
Information on what can and cannot be taken to Norfolk's recycling centres, and where they are. Note that several recycling centres now have Reuse Shelters where many items can be saved from the skip and sold, with the proceeds split between councils, the recycling centre operator, and local charities.
See also...
...our general recycling links for ideas and information on recycling different types of items and materials.

Remember too that charity shops will usually take good-quality clothes, shoes, books, CDs, DVDs, videos, housewares, linens, and sometimes furniture. They do not usually take electrical items but some do (if they have a qualified volunteer to check the items' safety). You can also look out for local sales run by charities, schools, etc. where donations of saleable items are sought.



Books & music

Bookcrossing
Books are registered online and left in public places for people to find. The website can be used as a book treasure hunt! Members occasionally meet up, and books can also be swapped, relayed or picked up at an Official BookCrossing Zone (there are a number in Norwich, look up Bookcrossing member "jackshome" and see her shelf for details!)
Polymer Recycling
This company says: We are happy to accept postal/courier deliveries of unwanted CDs, DVDs and cases from organisations and members of the public for recycling, provided that postage/delivery is paid by the sender. The address to send them to is Polymer Recycling Ltd, Peninsula Business Park, Reeds Lane, Moreton, Wirral, CH46 1DW. If you wish to send your discs into us, please ensure that no other items except CDs, DVDs and their associated packaging are included in the consignment. (Information correct November 2010.)

Computers & phones

Donate a PC
'Matchmaking' service for individuals and organisations to donate un-needed hardware.
Epson
Epson take toner cartridges (from laser printers and photocopiers, not ink printers) at their Express centres. See the page for details and your nearest 10 centres, complete with addresses, telephone numbers and opening times: Norfolk's local ones are North Walsham, Gorleston, Diss, Lowestoft, Thetford, Bury, King's Lynn, Ipswich, Sudbury and Haverhill.
Other places for printer ink and toner cartidges:
  • You can refill ink cartridges at many places - search on Yell for Ink Refills under Computer Consumables.
  • Be careful with refilled cartridges, they're usually OK, but if there are any problems (e.g. leaks which damage the printer) the usual response is that refilled cartridges (or any not made by your printer manufacturer) invalidate the warranty.
  • Many charity shops have collection boxes, and some charities will provide boxes for use in workplaces. Contact your preferred charity to ask.
  • If all else fails, try large retailers such as PC World and Staples, or contact the manufacturer.
Mobile phone recycling
This is widely available with envelopes on offer in supermarkets and charity shops, and websites offering payment for more recent models.  OnRecycle compares prices from other sites.

Household items & furniture

The Furniture Re-Use Network
Thanks to the 300+ FRN member organisations, "1.5 million items per year are re-used and passed onto low income families. 63,000 tonnes of waste is diverted from landfill and 5000 people are working in the UK to collect and deliver furniture and appliances." Norfolk organisations exist in Great Yarmouth, Norwich, King's Lynn and Long Stratton.
Norfolk Homemakers Furniture Association
NHFA collect unwanted good quality furniture (all sorts of items including bric-a-brac) and pass it on at low cost to people on low incomes. They make a charge to cover overheads but are a non-profit making organisation. Unit 4 Aylsham Way, off Aylsham Road (just down the side of what used to be the car auctions) near Mecca bingo. Usual opening hours are Mon - Thurs 12 - 4.30pm, Sunday 11am - 4.30pm, tel. 01603 487444.
Water Filters - Brita
Brita cartridges can now be recycled, with bins in various large stores including Argos - see their web pages.
Household goods, clothes and child-related items
A member wrote: a local health visitor would often be happy to take household items, clothes, shoes and especially unwanted baby and children's goods as they can frequently find homes for them with people who have had to be rehoused in an emergency or low income, young parents. I have taken lots of stuff to my health visitor to be passed on in this way and wonder if other people might think about approaching their local health visitor to do the same with goods that have not found a home on Freegle. - Contact health visitors through your local surgery or health centre.
Blankets, towels and bedding
Animal shelters and similar operations are often glad of bedding that would not be considered good enough for human use! Locally, you could try:
RSPCA Norfolk Wildlife Hospital, Station Road, East Winch, nr. King's Lynn, Norfolk, PE32 1NR. Tel: 0300 123 0709,
and
Save Our Seals, Winterton Seal Hospital, Low Farm, Winterton on Sea, Norfolk, NR29 4AW. Tel: 01493 393947.

Paint & decorating materials

Mini Scrapbox
A Reepham busness taking in reusable items for use by schools, community projects, etc.

Wood & timber

ReelFurniture
Timber wanted - old oak garden posts, scaffold boards, timber from oak, yew, apple, ash, elm trees. Attleborough/Norwich area. Wanted by David Meddings to make eco furniture and houseware.

Miscellaneous

Milk Bottle Tops
The Matthew Project is a local charity that recycles plastic milk bottle lids with Norwich City Council to raise much needed funds. They have a collection bank in the city centre and also and at many Waitrose branches.
Silver Foil
Some recycling centres in Norfolk accept foil - it's best to gather it together into a large ball.
Stamps
It's best to find a local collection point for stamps rather than trying to post them to a specific charity - postage costs mean that if you send them (unless in large bulk amounts like 15kg), Royal Mail actually get more than the charity do (not to mention the emissions from trucking and flying them around the UK first)! Stamps are collected by all kinds of charities, so if you ask around friends, neighbours, colleagues and charity shops you will surely find a way to pass them on without posting them.
Plastic (polythene) wrap
A member wrote: Polyprint are a company based in Norwich who make those polyfilm envelopes that magazines get delivered in. They accept used ones for recycling. They will not collect and do not pay anything for the used film envelopes - but it still keeps it out of landfill. See their website for instructions.
Worn out clothes (not suitable for charity shops)
Playgroups/schools may take these for craft boxes. Some charity shops may have contacts for companies that take unsaleable clothes as rags for processing (e.g. into felt).   Against Breast Cancer will recycle bras.

Animals

As well as local animal shelters and charities, there are various groups operating in a similar way to (but not connected with) Freegle, that can help you to re-home pets. Please familiarise yourself with the rules and guildelines of these groups before you use them.

East Anglia Pets4Life
Pets4Life Cambridgeshire and Fenland
Beloved Animal Re-Homing Klub UK
Pets4Life UK
Guinea pig rescue centre for abandoned or unwanted guinea pigs. 01603 737760

Food Banks

Food Banks accept some food items for distribution to those in need.

Cromer
Great Yarmouth Food Bank
Hunstanton
Kings Lynn
Mid Norfolk
Network Norwich
Thetford
Waveney

The Olio app lets you share unwanted food with others