What do you do with things you no longer need?

Passing on useable items: As a Council that’s committed to doing what we can to tackle climate change, we will always encourage residents and businesses to reuse and recycle whenever possible. It’s such a shame to see perfectly useable things ending up in skips when someone else can use them and so many people are in need.

So, if you have an item that you no longer need that’s still in working order, consider giving it to one of our excellent charity shops, advertising it on Facebook Marketplace (where you can charge for items or give them away for free), or offering items free on local online groups like Freecycle or Freegle.

East Kent Mencap ScrapStore: Do you know about the ScrapStore at East Kent Mencap in Ramsgate? We’ve featured it before in this magazine. The Store collects clean donated ‘scrap’ fabrics and craft products for resale at affordable prices. It’s run by members of East Kent Mencap who have a learning disability. It’s open on Wednesdays and Thursdays, 10am to 2pm, at Foresters Hall, Meeting Street, Ramsgate, CT11 9RT.

Furniture and large useable items: For larger items, some local charity shops can collect – and so can ‘Necessary Furniture’ in Canterbury. Call them on 01227 712680 to donate useable furniture items, which they upcycle for people who need them.

Broken bulky items: When an item really has reached the end of its useful life, it’s important to know you can part with it safely and quickly. Don’t be tempted by someone turning up with a van offering to get rid of items for you: they may be entirely legitimate, but if it turns out they’re dumping your items in a field somewhere, YOU could end up being the one charged with fly tipping! Thanet District Council (TDC) offers a bulky waste collection service with a price per item: to check what slots are available for collection in Ramsgate, visit the TDC website and search for ‘bulky waste’. To book a collection, call the Council on 01843 577115.

Scrap metal: Scrap metal dealers are happy to collect broken metal household appliances and other metal items – but you need to make sure they have the necessary permits from the Environment Agency or again, your items could end up being fly tipped! Thanet District Council runs a licensing scheme for scrap metal dealers that ensures they have all the necessary permissions. At the time of writing there are only 13 licenced scrap metal dealers in Thanet, who are listed below. For more information see the TDC website.

Licence Number	Name	Expiry Date
LN/201300817	Mr Mark Stephen Shrimpton	18/12/2025
LN/201300818	Mr Gary Stimpson	18/12/2025
LN/202000100	Mr Gary David Shorter	03/02/2026
LN/202000138	Mr Jake Samual Robert Fagg	09/03/2026
LN/202000347	Mr Simon Sinclair – TMS Trade Waste Services	12/11/2026
LN/202000345	Mr William Lawley	22/09/2026
LN/202100348	Mr Mark Taylor	10/08/2024
LN/202000422	Mr Simon Sweet (Simon Sweet Metal Man)	19/11/2026
LN/202100319	Mr Fraser Chadband	19/07/2024
LN/202100332	Mr Jordan Florry	25/07/2024
LN/202100418	Mr Sam Fields	01/09/2024
LN/2024400058	Mr Christopher Collins	02/02/2027
LN/202400109	Mr Connor Thompson – CRT Property Maintenance	15/02/2027

Written by:
Councillor Tricia Austin,
Central Harbour Ward