Do you have excess kitchen items gathering dust in your home? Whether you have one too many baking sheets or recently ordered a new refrigerator, knowing where to donate kitchen items you no longer need can help you make the most significant impact with your extra belongings.
Numerous charities accept kitchen items and gift or resell them to community members in need. However, keep in mind that some may not accept big appliances like ovens and refrigerators, while others may place caps on the number of boxes you can donate.
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Continue reading to learn where to donate all kinds of kitchen items you may want to get rid of.
Which Charities or Organizations Accept Kitchen Items?
Most charities that accept household donations take kitchen items as well. If you’re wondering where to donate kitchen items, consider one of the following major nonprofits:
Goodwill
Goodwill is a nonprofit organization that provides jobs, employment placement services, and job training to people with barriers to employment. This organization accepts most small kitchen items and appliances.
The Salvation Army
The Salvation Army is an evangelical church that operates numerous thrift stores and donation centers across the U.S. It accepts bakeware, plates and bowls, pots and pans, and most small appliances.
Habitat for Humanity
This organization helps communities improve the places they call home, whether by building new homes for people in need or providing household items — such as small and large kitchen items and appliances.
GreenDrop
GreenDrop is a company that pays non-profit organizations for the items you donate. This company accepts most kitchenware items but does not take large appliances.
Big Brother Big Sisters of America
This mentoring network matches adult volunteers with children, building long-term mentoring relationships that help kids reach their fullest potential. Most chapters accept kitchen utensils and small kitchen items.
Outside of these nationwide nonprofit organizations, you’ll likely find local charities in your area that offer donation programs. If you’re ever unsure whether a charity accepts kitchen items, you can call before you donate.
How to Donate Kitchen Items
Donating your kitchen items in the correct way can streamline the process of getting them to people in need. Review these tips for how to donate different types of kitchen items.
Pots & Pans
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Most of us can agree that we have too many pots and pans, which take up space in our cabinets. Thankfully, most secondhand stores and charities accept pots and pans as donations.
You’ll want to ensure your cookware is still safe to use before donating it. If your pots and pans have any of these qualities, you may want to recycle or toss them instead:
- The core of the pan is showing through the coating.
- The cookware is overly scratched or damaged.
- The cookware is warped.
- Your nonstick pot or pan has begun flaking.
If you think your cookware is no longer safe for you to use, it’s probably not safe for someone else to use either. You don’t want to risk the consumption of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), a chemical present in nonstick coatings that is unsafe to ingest.
As long as your pots and pans are in pretty good shape, you can pack them up and take them to a donation center. Additionally, wrap fragile cookware in bubble wrap or paper so that it does not become damaged in transit.
Other Kitchenware
Many donation centers accept miscellaneous kitchenware as long as it is clean and in good shape. Consider donating any of the following items you no longer have use for:
- Silverware
- Cooking utensils
- Kitchen knives
- Plates
- Glasses
- Bowls
- Fine China
- Kitchen storage containers
- Mugs
- Reusable water bottles
Please note that while many donation centers accept kitchen knives, some do not. Donation centers often do not accept other types of knives, such as hunting knives. It doesn’t hurt to check an organization’s guidelines before bringing anything that could be considered a weapon.
Don’t forget to wash all items thoroughly before donating them. (You wouldn’t want to purchase dirty kitchenware at a thrift store either, right?) Your donation center would also appreciate it if you packed kitchenware together and kept it separate from other types of items so that workers can sort through your donations faster.
Small Appliances
Small appliances are excellent items to donate to nonprofit organizations and charities, as purchasing these items new can often be costly. If you have any of the following small appliances you no longer want, consider donating them:
- Blenders
- Microwaves
- Toaster ovens
- Air fryers
- Coffee makers
- Can openers
- Electric water heaters
- Juicers
- Immersion blenders
- Panini presses
- Crockpots
- Pressure cookers
- Dip warmers
- Food processors
Of course, you should only donate an appliance after checking that it still works properly. Give it a thorough cleaning before dropping it off at the donation center to ensure it’s ready for the next user.
Large Appliances
Large appliances are a little trickier to donate. Many donation centers do not accept items like refrigerators, dishwashers, and ovens. These large items are challenging to transport, and most people donate them when they are on their last legs, meaning that their new owners may not get much use out of them.
Still, if you have large appliances you’re looking to get rid of, try these tips to find a taker:
- Look for a local Habitat for Humanity Restore, as many accept large donations like furniture and big appliances.
- Post your item for free on Facebook Marketplace; you’ll probably have a few interested people within the day.
- If you don’t get any takers on Facebook Marketplace, join a local “Buy Nothing” Facebook group and list your items as a gift.
- Contact local churches and charities.
If your large appliance still has a few years of life left in it, avoid throwing it away. Someone in need could benefit from your donation.
Benefits of Donating Kitchen Items
Donating your old kitchen items benefits you, the organization you donate them to, and the eventual new owners. Here are just a few benefits you can keep in mind as you search for places to donate kitchen items:
- You can keep your old household items out of landfills and give them a second life.
- Someone in need can receive your items for free when they may not have the money to purchase them.
- You can declutter your kitchen.
- You’ll feel a sense of peace — instead of chaos — when looking through kitchen cabinets.
- You can receive a tax receipt from many donation centers, allowing you to deduct the value of your kitchen items from your taxes.
- You can support the nonprofit organization you’re donating to, helping it continue benefiting community members.
- You’ll have fewer items to move when you decide to sell your house or rent a new place.
How to Find Local Donation Centers
While the nonprofit organizations listed above have locations throughout the U.S., you’ll need to look for local branches of donation centers in your area. You may also find local, standalone thrift stores and nonprofits that will take your kitchen items off your hands.
The easiest way to find where to donate kitchen items in your city is through a Google search. Search for “where to donate kitchen items in (city name).”
You may find a page on your local government’s website with the names and addresses of local organizations that accept household goods. Otherwise, you’ll see search results for nonprofits that serve your area.
Many donation centers list the items they accept on their websites. If yours doesn’t, you can call or stop by during business hours to ask about its donation policies.
Alternatives to Donating Kitchen Items
Donating your kitchen items to a local nonprofit isn’t the only way to give them a second life. Here are a few alternatives to consider:
Repurpose Old Kitchen Items
If you enjoy crafts and DIY projects, you can consider using your old kitchen items as building materials for a stunning new creation. Pinterest provides hundreds of clever ideas to repurpose old kitchen items. You can use your kitchenware as decor in your kitchen or for other functional purposes around your home.
A few ideas include:
- Turning mason jars into lamps
- Creating wall hooks out of old spoons
- Using teapots and mugs as pots for small plants
Recycle What You Can
Some of your old kitchen items may be recyclable. Consider recycling the following items:
- Glass bottles
- Aluminum and steel cans
- Cardboard boxes
- Grocery bags
Check your local recycling guidelines before putting any of these items in your bins.
Opt for Pickup Services
If you’re unsure where to donate kitchen items or don’t have time to drive to a donation center, consider a pickup service instead. You can schedule a pickup at a time convenient for you, and a nonprofit will retrieve your kitchen items from your front door.
At Easy Donation Pickup, we offer convenient donation pickup throughout Los Angeles and Orange County that benefits America’s veterans. Call us today at 855-628-8387 or fill out our online form to schedule a pickup.
Source: https://gardencourte.com
Categories: Kitchens
