All items · Hazardous materials
Paint, solvents and household chemicals
Also covers: emulsion, gloss paint, white spirit, weedkiller, pesticide, bleach
Can you donate paint, solvents and household chemicals to a UK charity shop? Usually not.
The short answer
Almost all say no
Of the 153 UK charities we track, 43 say no and 2 may accept in some cases.
Evidence last verified
Why shops may refuse it
Shops can't store or sell hazardous liquids.
What to do instead
Community RePaint schemes rehome usable paint; councils take chemicals at household waste recycling centres. Check which sites accept them before your visit.
Charity by charity
45 mentions- Can't accept
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Can't accept
Also poisonous, toxic or hazardous substances, and firelighters/barbeque lighting tools (flammable items).
Their wording
“Cleaning agents, solvents, adhesives”
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Can't accept
Also solvents and solvent-based products.
Their wording
“Flammable items such as firelighters and barbeque lighting tools”
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Can't accept
Their wording
“Cleaning agents, solvents, paint, wood stain and adhesives”
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Can't accept
Also spray paint and poisons.
Their wording
“Chemical items (cleaning agents, solvents, adhesives etc)”
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Can't accept
Also cleaning agents, solvents, adhesives
Their wording
“Chemicals, paint thinners, aerosols”
- Can't accept
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Can't accept
Their wording
“Cleaning products, solvents and adhesives”
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Can't accept
Their wording
“Cleaning agents, solvents and Adhesives”
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Can't accept
Their wording
“Solvent and solvent based products”
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Can't accept
Includes flammable liquids.
Their wording
“Flammables, gas cylinders, paints and gas appliances”
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Can't accept
Their wording
“FIRE EXTINGUISHERS, GAS CANISTERS, PAINT POTS”
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Can't accept
Their wording
“Cleaning agents, solvents and adhesives”
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Can't accept
Their wording
“Solvents and adhesives”
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Can't accept
Their wording
“Any chemicals or inflammables (including paint)”
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Can't accept
Also lists 'poisonous, toxic or hazardous substances' as not accepted.
Their wording
“solvents”
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Can't accept
"Cleaning products" cited as an example of hazardous substances.
Their wording
“Food or drink, toxic or hazardous substances such as cleaning products, tobacco and alcohol”
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Can't accept
Their wording
“Chemical/hazardous items such as cleaning agents, solvents, adhesives and poisons”
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Can't accept
Their wording
“Cleaning agents, solvents and adhesives”
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Can't accept
Their wording
“Solvents and adhesives”
-
Can't accept
Their wording
“Hazardous chemicals”
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Can't accept
Their wording
“Solvents and solvent based products”
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Can't accept
Their wording
“Cleaning agents, solvents and adhesives”
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Can't accept
Their wording
“Cleaning agents, solvents and adhesives”
-
Can't accept
Their wording
“Solvents and solvent-based products (legal reasons and undesirability).”
-
Can't accept
Their wording
“chemicals”
- Can't accept
-
Can't accept
Shown when searching 'Paint' (also 'Chemical Items').
Their wording
“Thank you for thinking of us. Unfortunately, we’re unable to accept this item for health and safety reasons. We can’t guarantee to our customers that second-hand safety equipment is still fully protective or hasn’t been damaged before.”
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Can't accept
Tins of paint also listed separately as not accepted.
Their wording
“Cleaning agents, solvents, adhesives”
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Can't accept
Their wording
“Chemicals”
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Can't accept
Their wording
“Cleaning agents, solvents and adhesives”
- Can't accept
-
Can't accept
Their wording
“Chemical products, paint, varnishes”
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Can't accept
Their wording
“Hazardous waste – paints, solvents, adhesives or cleaning agents”
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Can't accept
Their wording
“Cleaning agents, solvents, adhesives, and paint”
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Can't accept
Cleaning agents and solvents specifically.
Their wording
“Prescription glasses, toiletries, cleaning agents or solvents”
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Can't accept
Their wording
“Cleaning agents, solvents, adhesives”
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Can't accept
Their wording
“Cleaning agents, solvents and adhesives”
-
Can't accept
Their wording
“Chemical or hazardous items”
-
Can't accept
Their wording
“Cleaning agents, solvents, adhesives”
-
Can't accept
Their wording
“Cleaning agents, solvents, adhesives”
-
Can't accept
Their wording
“Chemical items”
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Can't accept
Their wording
“Solvents and solvent-based products.”
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Check first
Only refused once opened; the exclusion is specifically for opened paint/DIY/gardening chemical items.
Their wording
“Opened paints, varnishes and other DIY or gardening related items that have been opened”
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Check first
Exception: artist's paints can be sold. Also covers glue, aerosols, methylated spirits and mercury thermometers.
Their wording
“paint (including aerosol paint) - this does not apply to artist's paints, which we can sell”
Not mentioned in 108 charities' guidance
Absence from a charity's list doesn't mean they accept it — it just isn't singled out. Ask your local shop.
- Accord Hospice
- Acorns Children's Hospice
- Age UK
- Ardgowan Hospice
- Ashgate Hospicecare
- Ayrshire Hospice
- Barnardo's
- Barnsley Hospice
- Bolton Hospice
- Butterwick Hospice
- Children's Hospice South West
- Children's Hospices Across Scotland (CHAS)
- Claire House Children's Hospice
- Cransley Hospice Trust
- Crisis
- Derian House Children's Hospice
- Dogs Trust
- Douglas Macmillan Hospice
- Dr Kershaw's Hospice
- East Lancashire Hospice
- Eden Valley Hospice and Jigsaw, Cumbria's Children's Hospice
- Farleigh Hospice
- Florence Nightingale Hospice Charity
- Garden House Hospice Care
- Great Oaks Hospice
- Helen & Douglas House
- Hope House & Ty Gobaith Children's Hospices
- Hospice at Home Carlisle and North Lakeland
- Hospice in the Weald
- Hospice Isle of Man
- Hospice of the Good Shepherd
- Hospice of the Valleys
- Jersey Hospice Care
- Katharine House Hospice (Stafford)
- Katharine House Hospice, Banbury
- Keech Hospice Care
- KEMP Hospice
- Marie Curie
- Martin House Children's Hospice
- Moya Cole Hospice
- Naomi House & Jack's Place
- Nightingale House Hospice
- North Devon Hospice
- North London Hospice
- Nottinghamshire Hospice
- Octavia Foundation
- Oxfam
- PDSA
- Pendleside Hospice
- Phyllis Tuckwell
- Pilgrims Hospices
- Primrose Hospice
- Prospect Hospice
- Rainbows Hospice for Children and Young People
- Rennie Grove Peace Hospice Care
- Rotherham Hospice
- Royal Trinity Hospice (London)
- Saint Francis Hospice
- Salvation Army (SATCoL)
- Samaritans
- Save the Children
- Scope
- Sense Scotland
- Severn Hospice
- Shelter
- Shooting Star Children's Hospices
- Springhill Hospice
- St Catherine's Hospice (Crawley)
- St Catherine's Hospice (Lancashire)
- St Columba's Hospice
- St Cuthbert's Hospice
- St David's Hospice Care
- St Giles Hospice
- St Helena Hospice
- St John's Hospice (Lancaster, Morecambe, Kendal & Garstang)
- St John's Hospice (London)
- St Luke's Cheshire Hospice
- St Luke's Hospice (Harrow & Brent)
- St Luke's Hospice Basildon & Thurrock
- St Margaret's Hospice Care (Somerset)
- St Michael's Hospice (North Hampshire)
- St Nicholas Hospice Care
- St Peter & St James Hospice
- St Raphael's Hospice
- St Richard's Hospice
- St Vincent de Paul Society (SVP)
- St Vincent's Hospice
- Strathcarron Hospice
- The Children's Trust
- The Kirkwood
- The Myton Hospices
- The Prince of Wales Hospice
- The Shakespeare Hospice
- Traid
- Treetops Hospice Trust
- Trinity Hospice (Blackpool)
- Tynedale Hospice at Home
- Wakefield Hospice
- Weldmar Hospicecare
- Willen Hospice
- Willow Burn Hospice
- Willow Wood Hospice
- Willowbrook Hospice
- Wirral Hospice St John's
- Wisdom Hospice
- Woking & Sam Beare Hospices
- Woodgreen Pets Charity
- YMCA (England & Wales)