Some items can’t go in your bin.
Charities may accept them, but always check first. Every year, they spend thousands disposing of unusable donations. Most prefer good-quality clothes, books, and bric-a-brac. Leaving things outside shops is fly-tipping and a fire hazard.
As of August 2025, here’s what’s accepted locally (check for updates):
Furniture: Storeroom
Medicine blister packs: Recyclable at Boots (Ryde & Shanklin)
Check your local supermarket, they often have a range of recycling points: batteries, plastic bags, coat hangers etc
How much have you thrown in your wheelie bin this week? Maybe you stashed something in the shed or attic instead? Planning that charity shop run... eventually?
A few years ago, I saw an oil lamp from India made from a discarded Coke can. In the UK, not long ago, the terms reuse and repair were common. My grandparents, May and Ben, lived that way—she was a seamstress and he was a cabinet maker. They reused, repaired, and rarely wasted. Their craft skills nearly vanished, but today, thankfully, there’s renewed interest. They inspired my own habits around reusing and reducing waste.
Recycling is now the most popular green habit—Jeremy Clarkson even approves! On the Isle of Wight, over 50% of our household waste avoids landfill. We outperform places like Brighton in domestic recycling.
Ray retired from the Trust in 2024 after 20+ years. He now volunteers, helps with St John Ambulance, serves as a Town Councillor, and is a Director in the Joint Civil Aid Corps.
