What to do with your clutter when you want rid of it

Bikes

Re-Cycle Bikes on the Ballyedmonduff Road will take your bike, sell it on, and make a donation to St Vincent de Paul. The Rediscovery Centre in Ballymun will also sometimes accept bikes.

Books

While you can put your books in your green recycling bin, doing so does seem a shame. Better perhaps to allow someone else get the chance to read it. In addition to your local charity shop – Oxfam has an extensive range of book drops across Northern Ireland, including Newtownards, Banbridge and Belfast – you could also consider selling them to your local secondhand shop. Vibes and Scribes in Cork is looking for books in good condition across genres including popular fiction (from 2019), science fiction and graphic novels. Look out also for little book drops across towns and cities, including one in Harold’s Cross Park in Dublin 6.

Bric-a-brac

Some charity shops are over-flowing and will only accept certain items; but the Making it Matter Community Shop on Dún Laoghaire’s Lower George’s Street will accept all your household items. A good tip is to drop into your local shop first and ask, before descending upon it with your bags of goods.

Clothes

You’ll find clothes drops right around the country, from supermarkets to gyms, which will accept most of your clothes (but not items such as duvets etc).

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Charity shops are another option. A spokeswoman for the St Vincent de Paul says they’re looking for “good quality, clean unwanted and used clothes and shoes”.

Alternatively, you could consider selling them. Platform de jour is Depop, which charges a 10 per cent fee for clothes sold, while eBay charges about 11 per cent. Siopaella on Dublin's Wicklow Street pays cash up front for designer goods, with Chanel, Louis Vuitton and Hermès some of the brands in demand.

Furniture

The Rediscovery Centre in Ballymun accepts furniture as do some charity shops run by the St Vincent de Paul. Check the charity’s website for a full list of shops that accept furniture, which include Cobh and Blackpool in Cork and Kilcock and Naas in Kildare. It says it’s looking in particular for wardrobes, tables and chairs.

You can also drop furniture at your local recycling centre, but there will be a charge. At Mungret Recycling Centre in Limerick for example, you’ll pay €0.28 per kg of furniture or carpets.

Selling furniture that is in good condition, but no longer needed, is also an option. Check out adverts.ie or Donedeal.ie, where you can list your ad for free.

Alternatively, you can list to give your goods away for free. This approach can save you from having to get rid of it yourself if you specify collection only. Helpful websites include Facebook's marketplace and jumbletown.ie.

Music

You can drop your old CDs into a charity shop or the electrical section of your local recycling centre, but if you have records, in good condition, you might consider selling them, given the heightened interest in vinyl of late. Independent record shop The Rage on Dublin’s Crow Street is one store which buys them; bring them in for a valuation.

Paint

Drop into your local recycling centre but check first if they accept. Here’s some that do: Estuary Recycling Centre in Swords; Ringsend and Northstrand Recycling Centres in Dublin city; Ballyogan Recycling Park and Meath County Council recycling centres. There may be a charge for this: Meath for example charges €1 a tin.

Toys

Jack and Jill is currently looking for your old Lego; drop whatever you have – it doesn’t have to be a complete set – in to one of its charity shops across the country, including Arklow, Crookstown and Tullamore.