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Recycling

Marlow Ultimate Recycling List 2021

Please check charities actually need what you are offering, as they have limited storage and it is expensive for them to dispose of surplus donations. This information has been compiled by a Marlow resident, please check before making any donations.

Art and Craft Items

Crayons; pencils; felt tips; card; paper; glitter; glue; ruler; rubber; erasers

Marlow Opportunity Playgroup- this is a fabulous cause and no longer in Marlow but needs to keep topping up these things.   http://www.marlowopportunityplaygroup.org.uk/

Felt tips: (but please replace with pencils and crayons!) Terracycle will recycle – many drop off points https://www.terracycle.com/en-GB/brigades/the-writing-instruments-brigade-r

Crayons – please use instead of plastic highlighters

Bedding, sleeping bags, and towels: clean and presentable

Bedding: clean, old and scruffy

Temple End Vets use old towels for operations and pet care – drop into their Marlow Bottom branch (part-time opening) or they have branches elsewhere.

Stokenchurch Dog Rescue can use towels and blankets for animal bedding.

All other pet rescues: dogs abroad often sleep on concrete outside all the year round. The international rescues will accept bedding, including pieces of carpet for the dogs, if they can fit it in the van. There may be a local volunteer who can collect from you or meet you at a service station. Examples of international Dog Rescues: Home2Home; Sadie’s Stray Dog Rescue; Marilena’s Little Romanian Dog Rescue; Action Aid for Animals.

Bikes + bike parts and used inner tubes

Cycle hub. is based in Maidenhead, teaches bike renovation and sells donated bikes. Look under “bikes and shop” for “bike donations.”

Re-cycle.org: your bicycle will be a much-valued alternative to walking for someone in Africa, enabling them to transform their life. Bike drop-off points are listed.

For used inner tubes see Ragsto

Books

Book Exchange – Phone box on the Newtown/Newfield Roads corner. Swap books

Find a School Library that no-one else has donated to. Wycombe schools usually have less than Marlow ones. Your books will be appreciated and enjoyed for years to come.

  • Marlow, Bourne End and Wycombe Libraries accept donated books.
  • Wycombe Hospital Scannappeal collects and sells books in the front reception area.
  • buildonbooks.com: see Mixed Collections
  • Helen Hospice Charity Shop has a whole room devoted to books.

Christmas Decorations: red and white fleece from Santa suits

Find a school short of donations! High Wycombe C of E and Castlefield Schools were absolutely delighted to be handed some chopped up Santa Suits from the Fun Run plus some rather strangely coloured tree decorations last February.

Prisons and remand centres are often desperate for decorations to cheer everyone up at Christmas.

Clothes – smart designer or nearly new

Any Charity Shop

Clothes – presentable

  • Ladies + children: buy and sell at The Thrift Shop (Medmeham) open Wednesday mornings plus one evening a month. https://www.facebook.com/medmenhamthrift
  • Baby: see thebabybank.org Mixed Collections https://www.thebabybank.org/
  • Children: see High Wycombe Helping Others (Facebook) see Mixed Collections
  • Men: see London Homeless Run Mixed Collections

Clothes – scruffy and worn out including pieces of torn cloth

  • Various schools – Holy Trinity, Burford etc collect for money.
  • See H & M and Salvation Army in Mixed Collections
  • Ragsto.

Cooking utensils and new home basics

See YMCA and Sainsbury’s Mixed Collections

When some people move into a new home they cannot afford basics such as crockery, pans, cutlery, cooker, microwave, fridge, small table, chair; bed, washing machine, curtains, bedding, and so on.   Find someone moving into a home who would appreciate your items by phoning a charity such as:

Curtains; cloth; sewing items; wool

  • Some charity shops do not sell these so always check before leaving.
  • Schools, Brownies, Cubs, Guides, Scouts.
  • Find a Retirement, Care Home or library that runs a sewing or knitting club.
  • Curtains/sewing kit: see New Home Basics
  • See workaid.org Mixed Collections

Food and unopened toiletries

  • onecantrust: drop at supermarkets and All Saints Church, Marlow.
  • See Wycombe Homeless Connection and High Wycombe Helping Others in Mixed Collections.
  • A charity or school tombola, raffle or shop

Furniture/beds

  • Wycombe Central Aid and British Heart Foundation will collect certain items for free.
  • The Furniture Shop and La Maison in Bourne End will buy some items to paint or sell.
  • freecycle.org and ilovefreegle.org or Marlow Freecycle Facebook page see Mixed Collections
  • Deck chairs see wyattandjack.com under PVC
  • Leather and canvas furniture ragsto
  • Stackable metal desks and chairs buildonbooks

Pet Items

Drugs (new, old, or part-used); food; beds; collars; leads; harnesses; saddles; tack; toys; tennis balls; animal coats; blankets; rugs

  • Any animal rescue:  some are so desperate they will accept pet drugs which are out of date – so please post instead of throwing away!
  • Battersea Dog Rescue, Windsor, has a long list under “make or donate goods”

PVC

Punctured airbeds; paddling pools; arm bands; bouncy castles; windbreaks; deck chair canvas; swim rings

PVC is very harmful to wildlife and our food chain when it breaks down into pieces.

Wyatt and Jack make bags out of waste PVC. They will courier-collect large items, or reimburse you for postage of smaller items.

School textbooks and uniform

Find a child who has lost their home – a box with uniform plus text books they will need is a great present. Remove all names and writing to keep anonymous. Suggestions to contact:

Sheet Music

Helen Hospice Charity Shop: Help us build up a fantastic collection of sheet music like Oxfam in Marlow before it closed!

Shoes

  • Clarks shops collect and recycle old shoes.
  • See H & M, The Salvation Army and London Homeless Run in Mixed Collections.

Tools: gardening and carpentry

Workaid

Toys

  • See Baby Bank, freecycle and freegle, in Mixed Collections.
  • Reading Family Aid accepts toys (see list) for children age 0-16. People are encouraged to organise a toy collection with friends.
  • The Toy Project: donated toys are referred to families by professionals such as social workers

Underwear

  • Bras for Africa are collected at Oxfam and John Lewis (lingerie Department)
  • Bras and new pants: Smalls for All
  • Packs of underwear see High Wycombe Helping others Mixed Collections

Mixed Collections

A Good Thing matchmake charities with local businesses who have things they’d like to donate – it could be items of furniture, stationery, unused products…

The Salvation Army has a recycling bin hidden behind the gate at Marlow Football Ground, Oaktree Road for clothing and shoes.

London Homeless Run: Men’s clothes, backpacks, men’s shoes and sleeping bags – please check what is currently needed: sallydark@icloud.com Russellharpermarlow@hotmail.com;

The Baby Bank,( Maidenhead) helps out families with pushchairs, baby clothes etc.

St Peter’s School, Prospect Rd, Marlow, collects and recycles food pouches (like Ella’s); used crisp packets; batteries; ink cartridges and used pens.

The YMCA is currently requesting single bedding + good quality kitchen utensils.

Freecycle and Freegle:

  • • Free to join – just post an item, and people will ask permission to collect your item!
  • • Clothes, furniture, toys, ANYTHING from a house or garden, even tooth brush chargers, WCs, sinks and kitchen units
  • • Animals are not allowed.
  • • You can also request items that you need.
  • • Top tip: if you can’t get rid of something, post it on one of the larger Freecycles like Slough or High Wycombe

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1001616546924566

https://groups.freecycle.org/group/MarlowUK/posts/all

https://www.ilovefreegle.org/explore/high_wycombe_freegleH&M

H&M Shops collect all fabric and clothes + clean shoes for recycling.

Sainsbury’s Maidenhead (+ other branches?) collects and recycles Tassimo coffee pods and packaging; old pots and pans; Brita water filters; some plastic bags and wrappers.

Ragsto, Marlow, makes bags and wallets from unwanted leather furniture and clothing, old tents, vinyl banners, sacks from coffee bean roasters and bicycle inner tubes.

Work Aid, Chesham, has drop off points for carpentry + gardening tools, lawnmowers, safety equipment, haberdashery, knitting equipment, knitting machines and sewing machines. It refurbishes and transports them to vocational training projects in the UK and Africa.

High Wycombe Helping Others helps refugees. Currently requires medical supplies, crutches, neck or leg splints, walking aids, packs of underwear, reusable sanitary pads, toiletries, baby care packs. The website gives good, clear and detailed lists of what is required and why.

Build on Books, Marlow, helps rebuild schools in Sierra Leone. Usually requires books, stackable metal chairs, desks and other school equipment.

Information kindly researched by Marlow Resident, Jenny Coutts