How To Recycle Used Postage Stamps
Image credit: Sabine Simon
Do you have a collection of used postage stamps in your home? If (like me!) you can't bear to just throw them away, there are lots of organisations that can recycle them to raise money for a good cause.
Here is a list of organisations in the UK which collect used stamps to raise money.
Some of them will also accept donations of old stamp collections which can be sold to collectors to raise extra funds for charity.
Many of these charities can accept other items such as old coins, cigarette cards and postcards.
Charities Which Collect Used Postage Stamps
- Omega is the National Association for End of Life Care. They are collecting stamps and also recycle other things including ink cartridges, currency and mobile phones.
- Kidney Care UK is the UK's leading kidney patient support charity. They are delighted to accept donations of stamps and old and foreign currency.
- Parkinson’s UK collect used stamps along with cars, coins, mobile phones and laptops.
- RNIB Help the Royal National Institute of Blind People by donating used stamps, which they ask that you separate them into UK and overseas. They also accept also collect first day covers, presentation packs and albums.
- Church of Scotland has an annual appeal for stamps, raising about £4k p.a., for a different project each year. Visit the website for details on how to donate your stamps to them.
- CRY Care and Relief for the Young collect used postage stamps to raise funds, and they can also provide you with a collection box for your workplace.
- The Leprosy Mission Your stamps can also help stamp out the horror of leprosy if you donate them to the Leprosy Mission.
- PDSA You can help ensure that animals recieve healthcare where their owner is unable to afford it by collecting stamps and donating them to The People's Dispensary for Sick Animals.
- Oxfam will accept stamp albums and other collectable stamps, which can be donated at any of their shops.
- Canine Partners raise money to fund a dog through their advanced training. All kinds of stamps are welcome, on or off paper. You just need to leave no more than a 5mm single thickness border around them, and the perforations should not be damaged. Any commemorative or special stamps should be sent, or handed over, separately.
- Stamp Out MND Based in Alsager, Cheshire, this campaign collects stamps to raise money for the Motor Neurone Disease Association.
- Kicks Count is a charity which aims to educate pregnant women to recognise changes in their unborn baby's movements to prevent stillbirth. They collect stamps as part of their fundraising activities to provide literature for midwives and informations for parents.
- Willow Wood Hospice collect stamps which can be donated to their shops in Tameside and Gloucestershire.
Do you know of another charity which collects used postage stamps? Please let us know about it so that it can be included on this page. Contact Us
So Why Do People Buy Bags Of Used Stamps?
So have you ever wondered why anybody will buy bags full of used postage stamps from these charities?
Well, the used stamps are bought by dealers who pick out any unusual or valuable stamps which are in very good condition to sell to collectors. The rest of these are sold as used postage stamps for crafting or sent for paper recycling. If you want to know just what is possible, here are some used postage stamp craft ideas in case you would like to get creative with your own used stamp collection.
Last updated: 31st October 2022
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