Every week, bags of unwanted clothes, broken toys and damaged household goods are dropped off at charity shops across Britain.
Donors may believe they are helping a good cause. But for many charities, a growing share of those donations are proving costly to process, recycle and dispose of.
Acorns Children's Hospice, which supports children with life-limiting and life-threatening conditions across the West Midlands, says it spends about £100,000 a year dealing with items it cannot sell.
It is money that could otherwise help fund specialist care for seriously ill children and their families. The charity says its services cost more than £40,000 a day to run.
About 3,000 tonnes of donated goods each year come to Acorns through its network of shops. But roughly a third of those items never make it on to the shelves.
Instead, about 1,000 tonnes are sent for recycling or disposal because they are damaged, stained, incomplete or unsuitable for resale under safety regulations.
The warning comes at a time when children's hospices across the UK are facing rising costs and increasing demand for services, putting growing pressure on already stretched budgets.
"We are grateful for every donor who comes through the door," said James Roberts, Acorns' business development manager.
"But approximately £100,000 of additional costs are diverted away from supporting the children and families we help through specialist palliative care."
Acorns operates 47 shops and superstores across the region, including Birmingham, Walsall, Wolverhampton and Worcestershire. Together, they generate more than £2m a year towards the charity's annual £14m operating costs.
The shops play a crucial role in funding services, but not everything donated can be sold.
Among the items most likely to be rejected are clothes with stains or holes, toys and games with missing pieces, and products such as children's car seats and cycle helmets, which charities cannot safely resell.
Roberts said staff were not asking people to donate more, but to think more carefully before dropping items off.
"Would you give it to a friend, neighbour or family member?" he said.
"If the answer is yes, there's a good chance we can sell it and turn it into vital funds for the children and families we support."
The issue is particularly significant as children's hospices face mounting financial challenges.
A recent report by the charity Together for Short Lives found demand for services continued to grow, with the number of children receiving end-of-life care increasing by 4% in 2025-26.
The number receiving symptom-management support rose by 40%.
At the same time, hospices have been hit by rising energy, staffing and operating costs.
The charity said average expenditure across the sector increased by 18% in a year, while statutory funding failed to keep pace.
According to the report, about 60% of children's hospices ended the last financial year in deficit and a third had already reduced respite or short-break services for families.
Nick Carroll, chief executive of Together for Short Lives, said every source of income had become increasingly important.
"The cost of providing these services has gone through the roof," he said.
"Hospices are seeing rising energy bills, inflation and staffing pressures, but statutory funding hasn't come close to matching those increases.
"When charities are already facing those challenges, every pound raised through fundraising and charity shops becomes even more important."
Acorns supported more than 800 children and 1,100 families across the West Midlands during the past year.
More than three-quarters of its funding comes from donations, fundraising and retail income.
For Roberts, the solution is straightforward.
"That small check before donating can make a really meaningful difference," he said.
"The better the quality of the donations we receive, the more money we can raise to support children and families, helping to make sure generosity goes as far as possible."
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