Where to donate all your used stuff in Toronto

Where to donate all your clothing, furniture, appliances, books and other things in Toronto doesn't have to mean adding tons of stuff to the landfill. Just because your possessions no longer bring you joy à la Marie Kondo, that doesn't meant your pre-loved household items won't be appreciated by someone else who needs them. 

Here's where to donate all your used stuff in Toronto. 

All Clothing

• Canadian Diabetes will pick up your clothes, or you can drop them off at a donation bin near you. 
• Evangel Hall is looking for all types of clothing; drop it off at their centre on Adelaide St. West.
• Fred Victor is especially looking for pyjamas and large tees for sleeping. 
• Furniture Bank accepts all gently-used clothing at their centre in Etobicoke; you can also arrange to have your stuff picked up.
• Jessie’s Centre takes clothing for young mothers and their children.
• Kidney Foundation of Canada has donation bins around the city.
• New Circles accepts donations through their clothing bank GLOW.
• Oasis Clothing Bank will take your used clothing via a bin near you. 
• Ontario Federation for Cerebral Palsy will pick up your clothes straight from your house for free. You can also find a bin near you.
• Parkdale Activity-Recreation Centre is especially looking for items in large and X-Large sizes; no children's clothing.
• Pegasus Community Project accepts clothes for their Pegasus Thrift Store; drop them off at their office on Kingston Road.
• Really Really Free Market holds their market on the first Sunday of every month. Bring your clothes to Campbell Park.
• Salvation Army takes clothes at all bins and Donor Welcome Centres.
• Scott Mission accepts drop-offs at their office on Spadina. You can also arrange to have your items picked up. 
• Sistering will take all gently used clothes at their headquarters on Bloor. They're especially looking for plus-sized clothing.
• St. Felix Centre accepts your used clothing five days week.
• Suits Me Fine benefits clients of CAMH. You can donate your stuff at their Queen Street site.
• Yonge Street Mission takes clothes at their Double Take store.
• Value Village accepts clothing donations at all their locations.
• Clothing donation bins can be found all around the city. 
• Consignment stores will take your high-end stuff for money or for a discounted price off stock in their store.

Winter clothing specific

• Allan Gardens Food and Clothing Store is a weekly meeting where you can drop off useable winter clothes at Allan Gardens. 
• Covenant House accepts winter apparel in good condition. 
• Fred Victor has a special need for winter boots; drop it off at a number of their shelters and drop-ins around downtown.
• Haven Toronto on the Queensway accepts donations of fall and winter clothing from Monday to Thursday.
• Margaret's will take good condition coats, undergarments, hats, scarves and gloves at their East Drop-In Centre. 

Professional work clothes

• Dress for Success accepts lightly worn work clothes at their head office by North York Centre.
• Dress Your Best takes donations of job interview-worthy clothes from inside the North York Centre.

Baby clothes and furniture

• Jessie’s Centre is looking for children's clothes up to size 6 and 6X.
• New Mom Project accepts highchairs, swings, bouncy chairs, cribs, and strollers that are under 10 years old on Thursdays and Fridays.
• Oasis Clothing Bank will take your used baby clothes via a bin near you, but no baby car seats, playpens or cribs. If you have more than three bags, they'll pick it up from you.
• Pregnancy Care Centre takes gently used maternity outfits and clothes for babies up to 18 months-old. They also take certain items like strollers, ribs, and playpens.

Toys

• Diabetes Canada picks up and accepts drop offs of toys and games.
• East End Children's Centre doesn't accept stuffed animals but you can bring all other lightly used toys to their office at Coxwell.
• Jessie's Centre accepts toys for their Swap Shop. 
• Oasis Clothing Bank accepts toys via bins around the city. If you have more than three bags they'll pick it up from you.
• Once Upon a Child will take any toys that adhere to their guidelines.
• Ontario Federation for Cerebral Palsy will pick up your old toys and games from your house for free. You can also find a bin near you.
• Salvation Army takes toys at all bins and Donor Welcome Centres.
• Toronto Fire Fighters Toy Drive hosts an annual toy drive at the end of the year. Find a drive happening near you.
• Value Village accepts toys and games at all their locations.
• Women's Habitat collects toys for their annual Holiday Hamper Program at the end of the year.

Books

• The Children's Book Bank takes books at their store in Regent Park.
• Habitat for Humanity will resell your donations at their ReStore locations around the GTA. 
• Ontario Federation for Cerebral Palsy will pick up your old books from your house for free. You can also find a bin near you.
• Pegasus Community Project accepts books for their Pegasus Thrift Store; drop them off at their office on Kingston Road.
• Salvation Army takes books at all bins and Donor Welcome Centres.
• Trinity College Book Sale collects books from January to August at U of T before selling them in a giant book sale at the end of the year.
• Toronto Public Library Foundation accepts books in good condition at the Toronto Reference Library location for their Book Ends stores.
• Value Village accepts book donations at all their locations.
• Used book stores might accept your volume; call ahead to find out.

Textbooks

• Textbooks for Change accepts, resells, and donates post-secondary education reads at their dropboxes around downtown. 

Furniture

• Diabetes Canada will take small pieces like end tables, dining chairs, and lamps. They'll pick it up from your home, but no clunky stuff.
• Furniture Bank accepts all gently-used dressers, night tables and desks (must be smaller than four feet-wide) at their centre in Etobicoke; you can also arrange to have your stuff picked up.
• Habitat for Humanity will pick up your furniture for free.
• Ontario Federation for Cerebral Palsy will pick up small furniture items from your house for free. You can also find a bin near you.
• Red Door Family Shelter especially need items like dressers, kitchen tables, desks, and coffee tables, but no sofas, bed frames, arm chairs or sofa beds.
• Salvation Army takes furniture at all Donor Welcome Centres. If you have more than three items, they'll pick it up from your home. 
• Value Village accepts furniture donations at all their locations.

Office furniture

• Green Standards will take your office's extra work desks, chairs and equipment and redistribute them to community organizations. They'll pick it up from your office for a fee.

Kitchen items 

• Diabetes Canada will take everything from cutlery to tableware to pots and pans. They'll even pick it up from your home.
• Furniture Bank accepts cookware, cutlery, and kitchen appliances at their centre in Etobicoke; you can also arrange to have your stuff picked up.
• Habitat for Humanity will pick up your kitchenware for free.
• Oasis Clothing Bank accepts dishes, cutlery, and housewares. If you have more than three bags they'll pick it up from you.
• Red Door Family Shelter will take most of your kitchen stuff that you no longer need.
• Yonge Street Mission takes clothes at their Double Take store.

Mattresses

• Recyc-Mattresses will take your mattress in any condition at their Toronto office in North York, and help keep it from the landfill. 

TVs, computers, and other electronics

• Canadian Diabetes will pick up cameras, CDs, laptops, cell phones, and flat screens (though there's limiation on screen sizes) or drop them off at a donation bin near you. 
• Free Greek will take your old computers, laptops and printers at their downtown location, or pick up your stuff for a fee.
• Furniture Bank accepts flat screens and tube style TVs, DVD and VCR players, and electric fans and space heaters. 
• Habitat for Humanity will pick up your electronic waste, printers, VCRs, cord phones, and intact TVs up to 29-inches for free.
• Oasis Clothing Bank accepts electronics.
• ReBOOT Canada accepts drop offs of your old useable tech stuff at their location in Scarborough and gives them to charities.

Towels and sleeping bags

Lightly used towels and sleeping bags are some of the most needed items at most charitable organizations around the city. Call any clothing or donation bank mentioned on this list to ask how to best donate your stuff. 

Bicycles

• Canadian Diabetes will pick up your rideable bikes from your home, or you can drop them off at a donation bin near you. 
• Community Bicycle Network will take bikes in any condition at their office in the Centre for Social Innovation on Spadina.

Musical instruments

• ArtsCan Circle will take your guitars, ukeleles, small rhythm instruments and other music accessories if you drop them off at Borealis Records on Carlaw Ave.
• Canadian Diabetes will pick up your gently used instruments from your home, or you can drop them off at a donation bin near you. 
• Regent Park School of Music accepts instruments; call them to see what you can give.
• Toronto Public Library will accept instruments for their Musical Instrument Lending Library at the Parkdale branch.

Cars

• Car Heaven saves your old car from the landfill and will tow it away for free.
• Donate A Car Canada will tow or pick up your car for free and allow you to give to a charity of your choice, like Covenant House, Evangel Hall Mission, Toronto Humane Society, and the Canadian Cancer Society.
• Kars4Kids will pick up your car after filling out an online form.
• Mental Health Cars, which supports CAMH, will pick up you car within 48 hours of you filling out an online donation form.

by Tanya Mok via blogTO