Unwanted goods sold and given to charity
Ebay’s Big Charity Sell has launched this week to help raise vital funds for charity and reduce fly tipping.
The nation can now sell their unwanted items on eBay and donate up to 100% of the proceeds to a charity of their choice.
Households across the country are using the lockdown to clear out their cupboards, and new data released today reveals that the garage that holds the most high-value items for sale, including kids’ bicycles, camping tents, skis and more. However, almost half (48%) of people admitted to binning items they no longer need, with a further one in five openly admitting to resorting to fly-tipping in a bid to rid their homes of clutter.
According to eBay UK an estimated £51 million worth of unwanted items are going to waste through fly tipping outside closed charity shops.
Robin Osterley, chief executive of the Charity Retail Association, says: “It’s brilliant that eBay are encouraging their customers to donate the proceeds of their sales to charity. Charities are undergoing an unprecedented loss of income as a result of COVID-19, partly caused by the closure of their shops, and anything the public can do to help plug that gap will be most gratefully received.
Whilst charity shops are closed, selling goods for the benefit of charities is a great option; we hope that the process of taking donations to charity shops will restart soon and people can have the satisfaction of donating directly as well as the usual opportunity to buy great items at bargain prices.”
Julie Byard, director of Trading at Cancer Research UK, said: “Like so many dedicated charity teams across the country, the staff and volunteers that run our shops are immensely proud of the amount they usually raise to support good causes. Due to Covid 19, we can’t open our shop doors at the moment which means we’re not raising money to beat cancer.
“The global pandemic is going to cause huge strain on charities in the coming months. Now more than ever, we need support. eBay’s Big Charity Sell is a fantastic and fun way for people to help charities from the comfort of their homes so please do declutter, donate and nominate a loved one to do the same.”
Last year, eBay’s buyers and sellers raised more than £27 million for charity organisations – an increase of 17% compared to 2018, and the online marketplace aims for its new campaign to spark ever greater fundraising efforts this year.
Charities are not charged any eBay fees on eBay for Charity when they sell or receive funds, allowing more money to be raised for good causes. Supporters wishing to sell for their favourite charity can donate from 10-100% of their sale and will receive the equivalent percentage reduction in fees.
Sellers simply check the box that says “Donate a portion to charity” and select the donation percentage when listing their item.
