How and Where To Donate Bags | Plastic, Totes, and More

The world has become increasingly aware of the environmental dangers of single-use plastics, including bags. While many of us have reduced, reused, and recycled for years, some US cities, states, and retailers are finally banning single-use plastic bags.

But what happens when consumers forget their bags at home? They tend to buy new ones. In some locations, customers must even purchase them when placing online orders. As a result, Americans have a new bag problem on their hands: mounting piles of reusable totes.

If this describes you, do you know where to donate bags? At Easy Donation Pickup, we want to make it easy for you to donate whatever you have, from children’s toys to (you guessed it!) reusable bags.

In this post, we list the organizations that accept bag donations, cover what types of bags you can donate, and provide tips for effective bag donations.

Places Accepting Bag Donations

As with single-use plastics, reusing bags is better than recycling them. The chemicals and dyes they contain can make recycling challenging, plus their handles can jam recycling sorters.

But what do you do with the rest after you’ve used them to wrap presents, sort recycling, and haul library books? While the organizations that accept bag donations may vary by location, we list some common places where you can donate reusable bags.

Local Charities and Nonprofits

One of your best bets for where to donate bags is likely right in your community. Animal shelters often offer free pet food or supplies for pet owners in need. Others have foster families that need to transport items along with the animals. Contact your local shelter directly to see whether they accept reusable bags.

Other perfect charities for bag contributions include food pantries and food banks. Many of these organizations serve homeless individuals who can use these bags to carry and store their belongings. In addition, food pantries often provide food for the poor and can use reusable bags to make distributions.

Local Schools

As any parent knows, kids tend to accumulate everything: artwork, books, supplies, and even dirty clothes. Ask your children’s teacher, school, or school district whether they have any need for reusable bags in their classrooms. Teachers may be able to use the bags for storage or to send items home with students.

Online Platforms for Donations

To connect those who have bags with those who need them, online platforms have popped up to facilitate donations. For example, the Community Food Bank of New Jersey partnered with several retailers to launch an online tool that helps residents find a pantry accepting reusable bags near them.

National online options also exist. For example, the eco-friendly company ChicoBag accepts reusable bag donations through the Zero Waste Pay It Forward Program. The website encourages consumers to mail in their reusable bags — even torn and worn ones — to keep them out of landfills. The organization will then sort the bags and decide whether to reuse, upcycle, or recycle them.

Community Centers and Shelters

Besides donating bags to nonprofits, you may find that other local organizations accept reusable bags. For example, some senior centers provide care packages for isolated, frail, and homebound senior citizens and include reusable bags on their wish lists. Many local organizations post these lists on their websites, or you can contact them directly to ask what they accept.

Which Organizations Promote Eco-Friendly Bag Donations?

Organizations nationwide are increasingly aware of the problem of too many reusable bags. Some have bag drop-off locations, while others accept mail-in donations. To find where to donate bags in your area, simply search “charities accepting bag donations” or “reusable bag donation centers near me.”

The following are just a few organizations promoting eco-friendly bag donations.

• ChicoBag (Chico, CA, but accepts mail-in donations)
• FreshDirect (New York, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, and DC metro)
• The Via Linda and Granite Reef senior centers (Scottsdale, AZ)
• The Community Food Bank of New Jersey

What Types of Bags Can Be Donated?

The types of bags you may donate include the following:

• Totes made with natural materials like cotton, hemp, canvas, or jute
• Bags made with recycled plastic materials
• Laminated PET bags
• Polyester or nylon bags

Can You Donate Used, Recycled, or Reusable Bags?

Typically, you can donate all sorts of used, recycled, and reusable bags. When you want to recycle bags, recycling facilities may have requirements about the types, sizes, and materials they can accept. When donating bags, however, your only limitation is the preference of the organization receiving them.

Tips for Effective Bag Donation

Organizations accepting donations will usually require that the bags be in good condition, clean, and free of personal items. The following tips will help streamline the donation process for them.

Cleaning and Preparing Bags

No organization wants the extra work of cleaning dirty bags. You can wash some totes by hand or in the gentle cycle in your washing machine. For others, clean them with mild soap and water or a sanitizing wipe. Check the fabric care label before washing. Also, remember to remove all personal items, including any labels with your identifying information.

Checking the Eligibility

When donating bags, check with the receiving organization about their requirements and wishes. Some may only require clean bags in good condition, but others may have additional preferences regarding size, materials, number, etc. Others, like ChicoBag, even accept torn and worn bags.

Spreading Awareness and Encouraging Others

If you find a place in your community that accepts reusable bag donations, let others know about it! It’s likely that your friends, family, and coworkers also have a surplus of bags they would happily donate.

What Are the Environmental Benefits of Donating Reusable Bags?

In most instances, reusing is better than recycling. Donating bags for others to use requires no special machinery and has no carbon footprint. In addition, the environmental benefits of bag donation include the following:

Reduction of Plastic Waste

The primary goal of reusable bags is to cut down on the over 5 trillion plastic bags produced each year. Fewer single-use plastic bags mean fewer bags polluting our waters, choking wildlife, and tarnishing our environment.

Promoting Sustainable Practices Through Reusable Bags

Like other sustainable use practices, reusing bags helps contribute to the following:

• Reducing litter
• Reducing pollution
• Cutting down on waste
• Lowering carbon footprints
• Saving resources
• Protecting wildlife

What Impact Do Bag Donations Have on Sustainable Practices?

Although you can use reusable bags multiple times, producing and recycling them requires energy, materials, and money. Depending on the material, you may have to reuse a bag thousands of times to offset its environmental impact.

By donating your reusable bags, you extend their lifecycle potentially many times over. This keeps them out of landfills and recycling facilities. It can also prevent the organization or individual you donate them to from having to buy new ones.

Schedule Your Easy Donation Pickup Today

As you search for where to donate bags, you may also be looking for where to donate other items like sporting equipment, luggage, and small kitchen appliances.

At Easy Donation Pickup, we make it easy to get rid of unwanted items in Southern California. Simply schedule a pickup, pack your boxes, and we’ll do the rest!