Donating to charity shops is a popular way to declutter homes and support good causes, but one manager has revealed there's a specific item she wishes people would stop giving.
The Unwanted Donation Piling Up
Caitlin Bren, a charity shop manager, took to TikTok to share her frustration. While she values all community donations, she confessed that if she could ban one item permanently, it would be DVDs. The issue, she explained, is a severe imbalance between supply and demand.
Despite selling DVDs for just 25p each or five for £1, the volume donated is overwhelming. "People will buy five and then donate 32, so it never balances itself out. I always have too many," Caitlin stated. This constant influx means her stock of DVDs never seems to diminish, creating a persistent storage problem.
The Environmental and Practical Headache
The conversation was sparked by a customer's claim that DVDs were going out of production, which Caitlin's research suggested wasn't true. However, it made her question their purpose in an age of streaming. "It wouldn't affect me at all if DVDs were discontinued," she admitted.
Her dislike is also rooted in environmental concerns. She pointed out that DVD cases cannot be recycled properly, and she doubts the discs themselves are widely recyclable. While some councils offer specific CD and DVD banks at recycling centres, it's not a common solution.
Caitlin does try to repurpose scratched DVDs for craft projects or as decorations at a local music festival, but even these creative efforts can't keep pace with the donations. The result is growing piles of unwanted plastic.
A Defence of Physical Media from Shoppers
Despite the manager's woes, commenters on her video defended the humble DVD. Many highlighted advantages over streaming services, where titles frequently rotate and disappear.
One person said, "I much prefer DVDs as you can watch them without being reliant on outside [factors], whether that's a Wi-Fi provider, the BBC or a streaming service." Others appreciate owning a physical copy of favourite films and the bonus features often included.
A bargain hunter added, "I've started to buy DVDs from charity shops... With a physical copy, I watch what I want and actually own it. It is also a hell of a lot cheaper." This highlights the ongoing, if niche, market for DVDs, even as their dominance fades.
The situation presents a modern dilemma for charity shops: managing the tidal wave of outdated media while catering to customers who still see value in it. For managers like Caitlin, the hope is for a better balance between donation trends and buyer demand.
