Donate clothes and goods

The lowdown on what you can and can't donate, where to donate, our best decluttering tips and more.

Your quality pre-loved clothing can help us be there for people in need

Right now, Australian Red Cross Shops need your quality clothing and accessories to raise funds for people facing hardship, crisis, and disaster.

Every purchase from our shops powers our humanitarian work, here in Australia and around the world.

Donating in-store

Red Cross Shops sell new and pre-loved, good quality clothes, shoes and accessories and we need quality donations all year round. The funds raised go to support Red Cross teams helping people as they overcome hardship, crisis and disaster in Australia and across the Asia Pacific.

What you can and can't donate

What you can donate

  • Quality women’s, men’s and children’s clothing
  • Bags, shoes and accessories
  • Books, CDs, DVDs and games
  • Homewares

When contributing in store, please make sure your donations are clean and resaleable. Your donations should be worth buying – if you wouldn’t buy it then we probably won’t be able to sell it.

What you can't donate

  • Stained and damaged clothing and goods
  • Used beauty and hygiene products
  • Electrical goods (computers, TVs, lighting etc)
  • White goods (including fridges, washing machines and microwaves)
  • Kitchenware (such as cutlery, dishes, pots and pans - unless in new packaging)
  • Furniture (including beanbags, tables and mattresses)
  • Baby items (car seats, highchairs, cots etc)
  • Outdoor items (such as BBQ’s and trampolines)
  • Harmful products (including knives, weapons and gas canisters)

We don’t sell products that may be harmful to our staff, volunteers or customers. Nor do we sell items that conflict with our Fundamental Principles. Red Cross has to pay to dispose of items that we can’t sell, so please do not donate items that we can’t accept. If you are unsure if an item is suitable to donate, please contact your local Australian Red Cross Shop.

Where to donate

If you have donations to drop off, thank you so much. You can donate over the counter at any Australian Red Cross Shop during trading hours. There’s also specially marked charity bins in select stores where you can donate. Unfortunately, we are unable to do at home collections.

Please donate responsibly and only drop off your donations during shop hours, in store or directly into donation bins as items can be damaged by the weather or other people when left outside.

If you are a business, community group or school interested in hosting a clothing donation drive, please contact prelovedclothing@redcross.org.au.

Tips for decluttering your wardrobe

  1. Lay your wardrobe out in your room and split into two piles: the items you wear often and the items you don’t seem to wear as much.
  2. Take the items you don’t wear as much and try on each piece as part of an outfit – shoes and all. By doing this you can see what you like and don’t like, what doesn’t fit, and what you realistically won’t wear anymore.
  3. Gather the clothes, shoes and accessories you no longer want or need and check they’re undamaged, unsoiled, and of good quality. If you wouldn’t give it to a friend don’t donate it.
  4. Take your donations to an Australian Red Cross Shop and receive a stamp on our loyalty card for your generosity. Once you reach 10 stamps you’ll get 25% off your next purchase.

Business or retailer stock donations

Australian Red Cross accepts new and preloved stock donations from businesses and retailers who may need to clear excess or slightly faulty stock as well as customer returns, giving them a second chance at life by keep quality textiles in circulation and out of landfill.

New products we accept from businesses

  • Women's clothing and accessories 
  • Men's clothing and accessories 
  • Kid's, baby and children's clothing 
  • Music, movies, books and games
  • Homewares and manchester

If you have new stock to donate or have any questions at all about donating customer returns, excess or slightly faulty stock, please contact reuse@redcross.org.au.

Pre-loved products we accept from businesses

  • Women's clothing and accessories
  • Men's clothing and accessories
  • Kid's and baby clothing
  • Homewares

If you are a pre-loved business with excess stock to donate, or are a business, community group or school interested in hosting a clothing donation drive, please contact prelovedclothing@redcross.org.au.

Country Road partnership

We are proud to partner with Country Road to offer you an exclusive bonus when you donate your quality pre-loved Country Road clothes and accessories.

Thanks to our Fashion Trade program when you donate one or more Country Road items you score a $10 voucher to use in any Country Road store Australia-wide. Vouchers can be redeemed on purchases of $50 or more, one per transaction. Donations can be made at any Country Road or Australian Red Cross Shop all year round.

Where the money goes

The funds raised from your donations go to support Red Cross teams on the ground in Australia and across the Asia Pacific. They might help us to make daily welfare phone calls to older folks who are isolated, support communities recovering from a disaster, welcome families making a new life in Australia after years in a refugee camp, and so much more. Your quality donations will help us to continue providing this much-needed support for people overcoming hardship, crisis and disaster. Thank you so much for your generosity.

Environmental impact

Every quality item you donate or purchase from an Australia Red Cross Shop helps the environment by keeping items out of landfill and reducing CO2 emissions. Calculate your impact below with this handy tool from Charitable Recycling Australia.

Find your nearest Red Cross Shop

Red Cross pays our respects to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander custodians of the country where we work, and to Elders, past, present and emerging.

Learn about our Reconciliation Action Plan and how we can all make reconciliation real.

This website may contain the images, voices or names of people who have passed away.