Customer donations: where your generosity goes

When you buy an item and leave it in a store’s donation point, you do so because you want to help someone. We respect that intention, and we want you to understand what happens when those donations are entrusted to Tummies Not Trash.

Why we collect customer donations

Alongside our work redistributing surplus food, we collect customer-donated items from participating stores and pass them on to our partner organisations. Currently we work closely with West Edinburgh Community Support Project and Drylaw Neighbourhood Centre

Our collection network helps connect the generosity of shoppers with organisations supporting people in our communities. By helping with collection and distribution, we can get these donations to partners who can put them to good use.

Who benefits?

Customer donations are passed to partner organisations to support the people and communities they work with. We work with partners who honour the purpose for which the items were donated and use them accordingly.

These items have been deliberately bought and given by someone who wants to help. That means treating them with care and ensuring that decisions about where they go respect the donor’s intention.

A shared effort

We are grateful to every customer who adds an extra item to their shopping and donates it. We also thank the participating stores and their staff for looking after these donations and entrusting us with their onward distribution.

To our volunteers and partner organisations: Thank you for helping turn that generosity into practical support.

Every donation represents someone choosing to help. Our role is to help that kindness reach its intended destination.

Items our partners would welcome

Would you like to help? Below are the items our partner organisations have identified as particularly useful.

[Add the current list here.]

We update this list as needs change, helping you choose donations that will be useful and appreciated.

Organise a collection

Your workplace, community group, club or shared space could make a difference by collecting items for our partner organisations.

Please contact Tummies Not Trash before starting your collection so we can confirm what is currently needed and agree how the donations will reach us.

Thank you for helping us turn individual acts of generosity into practical support for our partners and the people they work with.