30% rise in demand for second-hand goods: Salvation Army [News]

By Vimita Mohandas, Channel NewsAsia, 2 Jan 2015

The Salvation Army, which operates family thrift stores as part of its mission to provide holistic care to those in need, said it has seen a 30 per cent rise in demand for second-hand goods over the last five years.

The stores, which are run by Salvation Army’s social enterprise arm – Red Shield Industries – help to re-use, recycle and restore donations in kind from the public and corporations. The income generated is used to help the less fortunate.

The increase in demand for the second-hand goods could be due to donors giving away more sophisticated and pricier goods, compared to donations in the past which tended to be mostly clothes.

Read the full article here

Source: Channel NewsAsia

Give It Away

If you have old or unwanted items that are still in good condition, consider giving them to someone or donating them to charity. You can give it away through the following ways:

1. Give Away Online

The Singapore Freecycle Network is part of the global Freecycle movement that allows anyone to give away or receive items for free on its Facebook Group or Yahoo! Groups. Another similar Facebook Group is the Singapore Neighbourhood Freecycle.

Pass It On is a Central CDC initiative that allows the public to donate unwanted items (home appliances, home furniture, medical aids, mobility aids, and learning aids) in good working condition to Voluntary Welfare Organisations (VWOs).

YouSwop is an online community that allows people to exchange items for something they need for free.

2. Give to Charity or to Others

The Salvation Army operates Family Thrift Stores that receives donations-in-kind from the public and companies, and resells them to support social programmes. You can find a list of the locations of Family Thrift Stores and donation bins at the Salvation Army website.

The Tzu Chi Recycling Points and the monthly Recycling Day collects items like clothes, electrical appliances, school bags, leather, belts, shoes, soft toys, CDs, etc.

Blessings in a Bag is a non-profit project that partners with communities, orphanages, schools, and homes across Asia to provide for the needs of underprivileged, abused and medically-ill children. They accept donations for items (in good condition) such as activity mats, blankets, clothing (for newborns to teens), craft material (paint, construction paper, crayons, coloured pencils, etc), educational toys, story books and educational books (for toddlers to primary reading level), school bags for children, and tote bags.

Singapore Really Really Free Market is a temporary market where everything is free. Anyone with stuff to give away are welcome to set up a stall.

3. Use the Recycling Programme

Old clothing and soft toys or electrical items can be placed in the recycling bags or bins under the National Recycling Programme. These items are usually sold by the recycling collectors. Contact your recycling collector to check what used items can be placed inside the recycling bag or bin.