Goodwill strives to make the donation process easy for our donors, and we are happy to offer this guide to items we can and cannot accept. If you are still unsure of an item you’d like to donate, please contact us.
Unfortunately, Goodwill does not have a pick-up service due to infrastructure and services not being available. If you would still like to donate and require a pick-up service, please contact College H.U.N.K.S. Hauling Junk and Removal. Please be aware College H.U.N.K.S. is a private enterprise and a fee will be associated with a donation pick-up. They will pick up items, including appliances, furniture, exercise equipment and more and deliver these donations to a Goodwill donation centre.
College H.U.N.K.S. Hauling picks up donations in the following areas.
Thanks to this pickup service, donating goods to a thrift store has never been so convenient!
Clothes that should not be donated to a second hand store include ripped, stained, damaged or dirty items. You should not donate used items and clothes in poor condition because these items cannot be resold. Instead, damaged or dirty clothes should be recycled, upcycled or disposed of.
In addition, for health and safety reasons, some types of children’s clothes should not be donated. This includes:
Remember that although some clothes should not be donated to a used clothing store, this doesn't mean your clothing donation must go to the landfill! Used clothing can often be repurposed. So, please try to recycle or upcycle damaged, dirty or disallowed clothing items before putting them in the garbage.
For a comprehensive list, please visit our GOOD Donations vs. Not-so-GOOD donations page.
Yes, you have to wash clothes before donating them to a second hand store. Clothing donations should also be new or in good condition.
If you donate used items and clothing that is not washed and dried, it may need to be disposed of. This is unfortunate - especially if you wanted your used clothing to find a new home! However, this protocol is necessary to protect our staff and customers.
Please Note: Although unwashed clothing donations cannot be sold at Goodwill used clothing stores, we do our best to keep items out of the landfill. Therefore, instead of tossing unwashed clothes in the garbage, we send these items to textile recyclers whenever possible.
Wondering - where can I take an old clothes donation near me? Check out the Goodwill donation locations above to find out where to drop off donations at a thrift store near you.
Goodwill Industries of Alberta only has donation bins with partner eco-stations and landfills. You can see a full list of list of where Goodwill Donation bins are located by visiting the where to donate page.
Donation bin donations are processed and priced before being put on the shelf. At Goodwill, our staff sorts through donated items and removes anything that cannot be sold, including damaged and soiled clothes.
Part of our mission at Goodwill is to prevent clothing and other goods that can be repurposed or upcycled from reaching the landfill. Therefore, clothing donations that cannot be sold at our used clothing stores are sent to textile recyclers or salvage vendors. There, these items are processed and used for various alternative purposes. For example, fibre filling, insulation, etc. So, when you donate used items and clothes to Goodwill, you can be sure they will be put to good use!
You can donate used baby items at a Goodwill Donation Centre near you. Goodwill’s used clothing store donation centre locations and opening hours are listed above. Stop by any time during our operating hours to donate used items or drop off clothing donations!
Goodwill accepts the following used baby items:
Unfortunately, we cannot accept these used baby items for health and safety reasons:
Please Note: The lists above are not comprehensive. If you are unsure whether a used baby item can be donated to our second hand store, please call us at 1-866-927-1414. Alternatively, visit one of our donation centres near you, and our staff will be happy to help with item and clothing donation questions!
If you would like to seek out a second option for donating baby items, we strongly urge you to visit Basically Babies.
You can donate sheets and towels at Goodwill Donation Centres across Alberta. With over 30 used clothing store donation centres to choose from (plus donation bins at local eco-stations, throw n' go stations and landfills), there’s guaranteed to be a location to donate used items near you.
Drop off donations at our thrift store donation centres in:
When donating goods to our thrift store (like sheets and towels), please ensure the items are new or gently used. In addition, sheets, towels and clothing donations should be laundered before they are donated to our second hand store.
We have launched an Impact Calculator to provide tangible numbers on the huge impact that repurposing and recycling your items can create. You can input the quantity of clothing, accessories, housewares, and furniture you plan to donate or have donated in the past to get a calculated score.
This score will show you the environmental effect by calculating the potential pounds of goods you have diverted from the landfills. You will also get a calculated number of hours that your donation has the potential to provide our mission’s programs and services used to place people with disabilities into new jobs & careers.
Try out the Impact Calculator here.
You most certainly can! Goodwill has partnered with Quantum Lifecycle to provide electronics recycling across the province. This partnership allows us to accept your broken or unusable electronics, keeping them out of the landfills, and allowing you a safe and easy way to dispose of them.
Quantum Lifecycle is able to recycle items such as laptops, cellphones, tablets, various styles of TVs and monitors, printers, AV Equipment, stereo systems, and more.
Yes, bras can be donated to Goodwill. As long as the bras are clean and new or gently used they will be sold in Goodwill’s retail stores. Keep in mind, Goodwill cannot accept wet or dirty clothing. So, before bringing items in for donation please be sure that they are laundered and dry.
If the bras are damaged, they may still be accepted at the donation location. Bras that cannot be sold in-store, are sent to textile recyclers who convert the material into new products. This way, nothing goes to waste unless absolutely necessary.
Looking for a Goodwill Alberta donation location? Find the nearest Goodwill using our drop-off location locator.
Goodwill accepts donated socks that are gently used or brand new. All clothing that is donated to Goodwill, should be clean and laundered before it’s brought in. Socks that are too damaged to be sold at Goodwill Alberta’s thrift store locations will be sent to outside organizations that recycle textiles into new products or materials for other uses.
To donate socks or other clothing items to Goodwill Alberta, visit one of our donation centers. Donation locations can be found throughout Alberta, including in Edmonton and surrounding cities. The profits from donations that are resold in our retails stores benefit local communities and help individuals in Alberta with disabilities.
Underwear that is new or gently used can be donated to Goodwill in Alberta. The underwear should be clean, dry and in good condition when they are donated.
Depending on the condition of the undergarments, they may be sold or recycled. For example, if the underwear is damaged or not suitable for resale, it may be sent to a textile recycler. The recycler will turn the material into wiping rags, upholstery stuffing or fibre recycling.
Even if you have articles of clothing, including underwear, that are ripped or damaged, consider bringing them to a local Goodwill donation center. By donating these items, they can be put to good use instead of being added to the landfill. If you’re in or near Calgary, the City of Calgary Throw ‘n’ Go is another location where donations can be dropped off. All items donated at this location are organized by Goodwill Alberta.
Unfortunately, mattresses cannot be donated to Goodwill. Although Goodwill would love to accept all donations, some items cannot be accepted for health and safety reasons. Bedroom furniture that cannot be accepted includes mattresses, pillows, bed frames, bunk beds, hide-a-beds and waterbeds.
Undoubtedly, there are many items in these categories that are perfectly good for reuse. However, in some cases, these items may pose a health and safety risk to our staff or new owners. Therefore, to be safe, we do not accept them.
Goodwill Alberta asks that anyone with a used bed or bed frame find an alternative destination for it.