Kids grow up fast, and it is best to recycle as much as you can. Quite often their clothes can’t keep up with how fast they grow. The same goes for their toys, especially as they start to develop their preferences on what they like.
As a result, the stuff they don't use ends up piling up on shelves and drawers and we lose a lot of storage space that way.
If you’re looking for a way to get rid of these preloved clothes and toys, why not give it to charity, donate your pre loved clothes and toys for someone else? There are a lot of great charities and groups in Kuala Lumpur that accepts your preloved items and distributes them to the poor.
If you don’t know where to go, here are some great places where you can donate your child's preloved toys and clothes. These have been sourced from our IBU network, and are mainly in Kuala Lumpur and Penang. However, we are always looking for updates and new places, so feel free to add to our list with a comment right here.
CRC advocates environment-friendly means to help those who are in need.
They accept any unwanted, unused or preloved recyclables to help the poor. Some of these items get sold for cheaper prices, with the proceeds going to the project of the group for the poor. The others are given to charity homes across the country.
If they receive clothes, they are given to those who are in need for free.
2. Salvation Army
The Salvation Army is one of the largest NGOs in the world supporting those in need and has a branch in Malaysia. They sponsor several social projects for the poor and those affected by calamities.
They accept any used items that are not too damaged, especially child and adult clothing. You can drop your preloved items at any of the Salvation Army Family Thrift Stores in the country. Or, you can also visit them at their office at the Kuala Lumpur Corps and Community Center, or in Penang. The group would then assess your donation and give them out at their events.
3. Jumble Station
Jumble Station is a project of Parents Without Partners, a NGO that works to help single parents in the country, as well as poor children.
They accept donated clothes and other items that are in fine condition, including antiques.
They would then filter through all the donations and sell some of them. The proceeds would go to their outreach programs.
4. Life Line Clothing Malaysia Sdn Bhd
Life Line Clothing Malaysia accepts second hand clothes and textiles which they recycle and turn to rags. They aim to reduce landfill waste through their program, as well as introduce recycling to the community.
5. Kedai Bless
Kedai Bless is an outlet store where you can donate your preloved clothes.
To get project funds, BLESS Shop sells donated clothes they receive in one of their thrift shops. If the donated clothes they get are not good for sale, the Shuang Fu Organization takes them so the disabled can use it. BLESS Shop guarantees that every item donated to them will be given to charity and no item will be wasted.
Meanwhile, the proceeds from the sale will be used to help refugee children. The other clothes, which are not sold, will be distributed to Orang Asli settlements, children or sent to a recycling plant.
6. 2nd Chance by SURI
As the name implies, 2nd Chance is a social project by the group SURI.
The group aims to help low-income single mothers find a new source of income with the help of donated denim, giving them a second chance in life. The denims will be disassembled and recycled to make new designs or products. It could be bags, clothes and other items, designed by SURI or the mothers themselves. The single mothers who are a part of the program can then sell their work for extra income.
7. Tzu Chi Foundation
Taiwan Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation started its environmental protection initiatives in Malaysia in 1995. To date, there are over 160 recycling centres and over 980 recycling points across Malaysia.
Find their location closest to you on their map, on the link above. Both in Kualalumpur and Penang, as well as other parts of Malaysia.
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Focused on recycling, OWL even allows you to borrow bottles and jars, as a part of their jar-drop service. Plus an occasional thrift store and bundle shopping, garage sale and clothes swap
Like most bundle shops, this too deals with pre loved clothes, the volunteer driven outlets encourage shopping responsibly. The enterprise deals in clothes, household accessories and home items, reuse, reduce and recycle.
Large retailers
Large brands like Uniqlo and H&M have a recycling initiative that aims to help the environment and give back to the community. You can bring your old clothes to any Uniqlo or H&M outlet in the city and donate it to the cashier. At Uniqlo the clothes would be checked and those which are in good condition will be donated to their chosen charity. The others will be recycled for other use. At H&M you can give a black bin liner of clothing and they will give you a 15% voucher per full bag of clothing.
So, instead of throwing your child's old clothes and toys or keeping them in your storage space, donate them and help those who need it. They’ll use these clothes and toys again and it’ll bring a smile to their faces.
At the same time, you can get back some storage space and make way for new items for your kids.
So, what are you waiting for? Donate your child's preloved toys and clothes today and make another child happy!
Update: IBU now has a WhatsApp group for kids preloved sales and exchange. Find out more, and click on the group that suits you best- Kuala Lumpur or Penang.
You don’t have to be an IBU member to join this chat group.
P.S. If you are from other parts of Malaysia and would really like to set up a similar preloved group, please reach out to IBU! As a volunteer-run organisation, IBU is always on the lookout for awesome volunteers to join our ranks.
