What you think is helpful might actually be creating more waste.
Donating your old stuff feels like a win-win. You clear out your space, avoid the landfill, and help someone else in the process—right? Not always. Thrift stores are drowning in well-meaning donations that they can’t use, can’t sell, and definitely don’t have room for. What you drop off with good intentions might actually be heading straight for the trash—and costing the organization money just to get rid of it.
This isn’t about shaming you for trying to do the right thing. It’s about understanding how the secondhand system really works, so your generosity doesn’t become a burden. Most thrift stores want your help—but they need the right stuff, not everything you’re ready to purge. Before you toss that bin into your trunk and call it charity, check this list. These 11 items are doing more harm than good—and it’s time we stopped dumping them on someone else.
1. Broken electronics can’t be fixed and just become toxic waste.
You might think your old printer or busted DVD player could be salvaged by someone handier than you, but here’s the truth: thrift stores are not tech repair shops. Most don’t have the staff, tools, or expertise to test or fix electronics. And if they plug it in and it doesn’t work? It’s headed straight for the dumpster—along with a disposal fee they have to cover. According to researchers for Waste Removal USA, electronics are often rejected by thrift stores due to the lack of testing resources, leading to potential disposal challenges for these organizations.
Electronics are especially tricky because they can leak hazardous materials like lead or mercury when improperly handled. That means a donation intended to “keep it out of the landfill” can actually make things worse for the environment and for the store trying to offload it. If it’s broken, outdated, or missing key parts, take it to an e-waste recycling center. Don’t saddle thrift stores with your old tech ghosts—they’re already overloaded.
2. Stained or torn clothing ends up in the trash, not on a rack.
That shirt with the pit stains, the ripped jeans you wore through, or the mystery mark on your old hoodie? It’s not getting a second life. Most thrift stores won’t—and can’t—sell damaged clothes. They get flooded with donations daily, and if an item isn’t clean, intact, and ready to wear, it usually goes straight into a trash bag behind the building. Per writers for the Salvation Army, clothing that is torn, stained, or overly worn cannot be sold in stores and is instead sold to cloth graders for recycling or repurposing, helping to divert these items from local landfills.
Sorting through unwearable clothing eats up time and resources for already overstretched staff. Some stores try to send rags to textile recyclers, but that’s not always an option—and it still costs money. If you wouldn’t gift it to a friend, it’s probably not donation-worthy. Toss what’s ruined, and donate what’s still wearable. Thrift stores need quality, not volume. Otherwise, you’re just handing them your laundry-day leftovers and calling it charity.
3. Cribs and car seats are safety nightmares waiting to happen.
These baby items feel expensive, useful, and “too good to toss,” but thrift stores often have to refuse them—or trash them quietly. That’s because cribs and car seats come with strict safety standards and expiration dates.
If a product has been recalled or is outdated, reselling it can actually be illegal. As highlighted by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), resellers are prohibited from selling products that violate federal safety standards, including used cribs and car seats, due to the risk of injury or death.
Even if the item looks fine, hidden damage from past accidents or just age can make it dangerous. Thrift stores don’t have the liability coverage to risk selling a faulty seat or crib—and parents don’t want to play guessing games with baby safety. These bulky items usually sit in the back until they’re quietly dumped. If you really want them to be reused, look for local parenting groups or baby gear exchanges instead.
4. Outdated furniture is clogging donation centers and not selling.
You know that particleboard dresser with the missing knobs? Or the floral couch that screams 1992? It’s probably not getting scooped up by a vintage-loving college student. Most thrift stores are drowning in old furniture—and the bulk of it isn’t moving. Big, heavy pieces are hard to transport, store, and sell, especially when they’re stained, chipped, or just plain out of style.
The sad truth is that donation centers don’t have infinite space, and furniture takes up a lot of it. If the item’s not clean, in-demand, and structurally sound, it becomes dead weight. It sits, gathers dust, or worse—gets rained on while waiting outside for pickup. If your old couch has seen better days or your shelves are one move away from collapsing, don’t dump them at a donation dock. Call a junk hauler or recycle responsibly.
5. Used mattresses and pillows are more trouble than they’re worth.
You might think someone could use that old mattress or a spare pillow—but thrift stores usually think otherwise. Used bedding, especially mattresses, comes with a giant list of issues: bed bugs, body fluids, allergens, and a whole lot of liability. Even if yours is clean, they often have to assume it’s not. That’s why most donation centers won’t take them—or accept them only to toss them later.
Storage is another issue. Mattresses are bulky, heavy, and hard to stack. They hog valuable floor space for something that probably won’t sell. And once they’re rejected or unsold, they’re expensive to dispose of.
The same goes for old pillows—no one wants a mystery headrest, no matter how charming the pillowcase. Unless your bedding is new and still in packaging, it’s better to find a recycling option or call a specialized pickup service.
6. Boxes of old textbooks rarely get a second look.
It feels wrong to throw away books—but those towers of outdated college textbooks from the early 2000s? They’re not doing anyone any good. Most thrift stores are flooded with book donations, and textbooks—especially old ones—are among the least likely to sell. Curriculums change, editions update, and unless someone’s collecting for nostalgia or decor, they’re going untouched on the shelf.
And those books are heavy. Sorting, shelving, and eventually trashing them eats up time and labor. Even libraries and schools don’t want them. If the information is obsolete or the cover is sun-bleached and crumbling, it’s not a gift—it’s clutter. You’re better off recycling old textbooks or checking with donation drives that specifically ask for educational materials. Otherwise, you’re just passing the guilt of tossing them onto someone else.
7. Souvenir mugs and branded freebies are overflowing already.
You know that mug from a 2014 work conference or the travel cup with a cruise line logo? Thrift stores have an entire aisle filled with them—plus a backroom with even more. People donate them by the box, assuming someone might need a cup. But these aren’t charming vintage finds. They’re corporate clutter, and they rarely sell. In fact, most just collect dust until they’re boxed back up and dumped.
The same goes for promotional tote bags, calendars, lanyards, and keychains. These branded items feel useful in theory, but in practice, they become visual noise on the shelves. No one needs a mug that says “World’s Okayest Employee” from a company they’ve never heard of. If your donation feels like a drawer purge, that’s a red flag. Donate items with function and broad appeal—not giveaways from your last networking event.
8. Old cosmetics and personal care items are a no-go for hygiene reasons.
That half-used lotion, expired lipstick, or dusty eyeshadow palette from 2013? Toss it. Thrift stores won’t sell it, and honestly, they shouldn’t. Used personal care products are a health hazard. Even unopened items past their expiration date can be risky—and no one wants to wonder if that “gently used” mascara is a pink eye outbreak waiting to happen.
Staff have to sort through this stuff carefully, which wastes time and resources. Some stores have strict rules to toss all makeup and toiletries on sight. Even soaps, shampoos, and lotions are usually rejected unless factory-sealed and clearly within date.
Your bathroom cleanout isn’t a donation—it’s a disposal job. If you wouldn’t gift it to someone you love, don’t drop it in a donation bin and hope for the best. Most of it will just get trashed the minute you drive away.
9. Holiday decorations pile up faster than anyone can buy them.
Themed wreaths, tangled lights, broken ornaments, and novelty items from decades past all sound festive—until you realize thrift stores are already drowning in them. Everyone donates decorations they no longer use, but few people want to buy a dusty snowman with a cracked base in July. Seasonal items take up tons of space and only sell for a brief window each year.
Even during peak season, there’s more inventory than interest. Many stores end up hauling the bulk of it to the landfill in January. Unless your decorations are clean, intact, and still appealing by today’s standards, they’re not a gift—they’re a storage problem. Thrift stores can’t function as everyone’s off-season garage. If it’s broken, faded, or too niche to be useful, skip the donation run and recycle or dispose of it responsibly.
10. VHS tapes, cassettes, and outdated tech media rarely resell.
Your stack of ‘90s workout VHS tapes might feel nostalgic, but for thrift stores, it’s another shelf-filler that’s not going anywhere. Most don’t even have the equipment to test or play old media, and fewer customers are looking for it. Unless it’s something genuinely rare or collectible, those old cassettes and DVDs won’t find a second home—they’ll just collect dust until someone throws them out.
Technology has moved on, and most people stream what they want. These old formats aren’t just outdated—they’re nearly useless to the average shopper. Staff often don’t have time to sort through massive donations of media to find the one gem worth keeping. If you’re donating old tapes, make sure they’re clean, labeled, and in demand. Otherwise, it’s just more clutter for someone else to deal with.
11. Random cords and chargers create chaos, not convenience.
That drawer full of mystery cables? Thrift stores have one too—and it’s even more confusing. Random cords, unlabeled chargers, and tangled wires seem useful, but without knowing what they go to, they’re practically useless. Staff can’t test them, customers don’t want to guess, and most cords never leave the shelf. Eventually, they’re tossed with everything else that couldn’t be sorted.
Unless a cord is clearly labeled, universally compatible, or still in its original packaging, it’s not a donation—it’s e-waste. And dumping it on thrift stores just passes the responsibility along. If you’re not sure what the cord belongs to, chances are no one else will either. Gather those electronic leftovers and take them to a tech recycling drop-off instead. Thrift stores don’t need another box of electrical confusion cluttering their back rooms.