All items · Restricted materials
Tobacco, lighters and smoking accessories
Also covers: cigarettes, cigars, tobacco, lighter, lighter refill, ashtray, smoking paraphernalia
Can you donate tobacco, lighters and smoking accessories to a UK charity shop? No.
The short answer
They say no
Of the 153 UK charities we track, 30 say no and none says yes.
Evidence last verified
Why shops may refuse it
Tobacco is age-restricted, while lighters and refill canisters contain fuel; many charities also decline smoking accessories as a matter of policy.
What to do instead
Ask your council how to dispose of fuelled lighters or refill canisters safely. Do not put a leaking or pressurised item in household recycling.
Charity by charity
30 mentions-
Can't accept
Includes cigarette lighters, refill canisters and ashtrays.
Their wording
“cigarette lighters, cigarette lighter refill canisters and ashtrays”
-
Can't accept
Their wording
“Cigarettes, tobacco and related products”
-
Can't accept
Their wording
“Cigarettes, cigarette lighters, refill canisters, any tobacco product, and ashtrays”
-
Can't accept
Their wording
“Cigarette and drug-related items — ashtrays, lighters, branded clothing/cards”
-
Can't accept
Their wording
“Lighters”
-
Can't accept
Their wording
“Cigarettes/E Cigarettes”
-
Can't accept
Their wording
“tobacco”
-
Can't accept
Their wording
“Cigarette lighters and cigarette lighter refill canisters”
-
Can't accept
Their wording
“Food or drink, toxic or hazardous substances such as cleaning products, tobacco and alcohol”
-
Can't accept
Their wording
“Tobacco & Vaping products”
-
Can't accept
Their wording
“Any form of smoking/vaping/drug paraphernalia, apparatus or accessory”
-
Can't accept
A separate bullet on the same page also excludes 'Cigarette lighters, refills canisters, ashtrays'.
Their wording
“Cigarettes or any tobacco product”
-
Can't accept
Cigarettes named among refused consumables.
Their wording
“Consumables including alcohol, cigarettes, drugs or foodstuffs”
-
Can't accept
Their wording
“Cigarettes, tobacco and related products (legal reasons and undesirability). Includes electronic cigarettes, vaporizers and their accessories.”
-
Can't accept
Their wording
“Cigarette lighters and refill canisters”
-
Can't accept
Their wording
“Lighters and firelighters”
-
Can't accept
Shown when searching 'Cigarettes' (the 'Lighter' entry gives a similar refusal, for health and safety).
Their wording
“Thank you for thinking of us. Unfortunately, we’re unable to accept this item because of legal restrictions. Some things need special licences or checks that we’re not able to have in place.”
-
Can't accept
Their wording
“Cigarette lighters and cigarette lighter refill canisters”
-
Can't accept
Includes cigarettes and tobacco products, lighters, refill canisters and ashtrays.
Their wording
“Cigarettes or tobacco products”
-
Can't accept
Their wording
“Alcohol, tobacco and medicines”
-
Can't accept
Their wording
“Cigarettes and tobacco products, ash trays”
-
Can't accept
Their wording
“Cigarette lighters and refill canisters”
-
Can't accept
Their wording
“Cigarettes, tobacco, and related products (e.g., ashtrays)”
-
Can't accept
Their wording
“Cigarette lighters and cigarette lighter refill canisters”
-
Can't accept
Their wording
“Smoking, vaping or drug paraphernalia”
-
Can't accept
Their wording
“Cigarettes and tobacco products (incl. ashtrays, lighters)”
-
Can't accept
Their wording
“Disposable lighters”
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Can't accept
Their wording
“Cigarettes lighters and refill canisters”
-
Can't accept
Their wording
“Smoking paraphernalia”
-
Can't accept
Their wording
“Smoking-related items, including ashtrays”
Not mentioned in 123 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
- Blythe House Hospice
- Bolton Hospice
- Butterwick Hospice
- Children's Hospice South West
- Children's Hospices Across Scotland (CHAS)
- Claire House Children's Hospice
- Cornwall Hospice Care
- Cransley Hospice Trust
- Crisis
- DEBRA
- Demelza Hospice Care for Children
- Derian House Children's Hospice
- Dogs Trust
- Douglas Macmillan Hospice
- Dr Kershaw's Hospice
- East Lancashire Hospice
- Ellenor
- Emmaus
- FARA Charity Shops
- Farleigh Hospice
- Florence Nightingale Hospice Charity
- Forget Me Not Children's Hospice
- Garden House Hospice Care
- Great Oaks Hospice
- Great Western Air Ambulance Charity
- Greenwich & Bexley Community Hospice
- Helen & Douglas House
- Highland Hospice
- 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 Valleys
- Jersey Hospice Care
- Katharine House Hospice (Stafford)
- Katharine House Hospice, Banbury
- Keech Hospice Care
- Longfield Community Hospice
- LOROS 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
- Overgate Hospice
- Oxfam
- PDSA
- Pendleside Hospice
- Phyllis Tuckwell
- Pilgrims Hospices
- Primrose Hospice
- Princess Alice Hospice
- Prospect Hospice
- Rainbows Hospice for Children and Young People
- Rennie Grove Peace Hospice Care
- Rotherham Hospice
- Rowans Hospice
- Royal Trinity Hospice (London)
- Saint Francis Hospice
- Samaritans
- Save the Children
- Scope
- Sense Scotland
- Severn Hospice
- Shelter
- Shooting Star Children's Hospices
- Springhill Hospice
- St Andrew's Hospice (Lanarkshire)
- St Catherine's Hospice (Lancashire)
- St Christopher's Hospice
- St Columba's Hospice
- St Cuthbert's Hospice
- St David's Hospice Care
- 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 Luke's Hospice Plymouth
- St Margaret's Hospice Care (Somerset)
- St Mary's Hospice
- St Michael's Hospice (North Hampshire)
- St Nicholas Hospice Care
- St Peter & St James Hospice
- St Peter's 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
- Tynedale Hospice at Home
- Wakefield Hospice
- Weldmar Hospicecare
- Wigan and Leigh Hospice
- 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)