Frequently Asked Questions

What can I donate?

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Willing & Able recycle a large range of items to reduce landfill. This includes X-Rays, clothing, linen, toys, household items and bric a brac, secondhand building material (doors, windows, timber, gyprock), tools, garden and outdoor items, sporting and camping equipment. We do have a particular standard/condition that is acceptable. For a comprehensive list of what we will and won’t accept and what standard/condition the item must be in, please visit our A to Z guide.
visit our A to Z guide

What can’t I donate?

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Some of the items we cannot accept as donations are: Unwashed items – everything on the “what we accept” list must be clean, clothing with rips, holes or stains, printers, computers, mattresses, pillows, carpet, vertical blinds, old phones and gas heaters. For a comprehensive list of what we will and won’t accept and what standard/condition the item must be in, please visit our A to Z guide.
visit our A to Z guide

Does my donation need to be cleaned first?

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YES! All items or clothing and linen should be clean and without stains, rips or holes, and we are only able to accept items that are in good condition ready for reuse. WHY? We don’t have the capacity to clean items that are donated and so must send dirty or damaged items to landfill.

This is not only bad for the environment but costs our organisation money. When we pay to take items to a waste transfer station, it diverts valuable funds we would otherwise use to create employment opportunities for our communities.
Please ensure you always check your items are at a standard that you would feel confident pass them on to a friend or family member. For a comprehensive list of the items we can and can’t accept and the condition each item must be in, please visit our A to Z guide.
visit our A to Z guide

How can I request a pick up?

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  • Phone us (Monday to Friday: 8:00AM-3:30PM) on 02 6581 0939
  • Request a pick-up online
  • Book through the forms section of the Port Macquarie Hastings Council Waste Info App – download here.

If you submit your pick up request online or via the Port Macquarie Hastings Council Waste Info App, a member of the Willing & Able team will phone you as soon as possible to confirm your collection day and time slot.

What days and times are available for collection?

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Port Macquarie
Monday to Friday 8:30 AM - 2:30 PM. Once we have processed your booking we will call you to confirm your collection date and timeslot (either 8:30 AM - 12:00 PM or 12:30 PM - 2:30 PM).  We make collections from most areas weekly, but some areas like Laurieton and Comboyne we schedule based on demand.   If you request a pick up, one of our friendly team will call you to speak about when we can organise a time.

Do you pick up from my area?

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We make collections from most areas weekly, but some areas like Laurieton and Comboyne we schedule based on demand.   If you request a pick up, one of our friendly team will call you to speak about when we can organise a time.

How do I pack my donation?

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We accept goods packaged in all shapes and sizes, but would prefer that items are packed in cardboard boxes rather than plastic bags wherever possible.

Do I need to be home for the collection?

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This will depend on the items to be collected and whether you are able to leave items in a safe place out of the weather. We will discuss this with you when we call to confirm your pickup day and time slot. Please remember that we can refuse to take items that don’t fall within our acceptance guidelines and quality standards. 

Where can I drop off a donation?

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  • Clothing, linen, textiles, bric-a-brac, X-rays etc can be dropped at our Op Shop at 39 Jindalee Road, Port Macquarie from Monday to Friday between 8:00 AM and 3.30 PM.
  • Clothing, linen and textiles can be dropped at any of the five waste transfer stations in the region with a Willing & Able quality donation point – Port Macquarie, Wauchope, Comboyne, Kew and Cairncross.
  • Building material (such as doors, windows, timber and gyprock), garden and outdoor items, tools, and sporting and camping equipment can be dropped at our Renovation & Recycling Warehouse at 38 Jindalee, Port Macquarie, from Monday to Friday between 8:00 AM and 3:30 PM.

How will my donation be used?

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Your donation will help provide meaningful employment for our supported staff. Suitable items will be used as follows.

  • Clothing, linen, manchester, bric-a-brac, toys and yarn: donations are sorted for sale within our Op Shop or made into rags for resale. Our Op Shop also features a craft area for fabric offcuts and wool, and buttons are cut from rag materials and bagged for sale. Items are also donated to One Ten.
  • X-rays: films are sorted into sizes then sold to a local recycler at a per kilo price. They are then finely granulated to recover valuable silver products in the form of halides.
  • Building materials (such as doors, windows, timber and gyprock), garden and outdoor items, tools, and sporting and camping equipment are re-sold at our Renovation & Recycling Warehouse.

Please note that we can only accept items suitable for reuse. Goods that are unwashed, broken, not in working order, torn, ripped or stained items and cannot be used will have to be sent to landfill. This is not only detrimental to the environment but costs Willing & Able organisation money. Every dollar we have to spend taking unsuitable donations to a waste transfer station diverts funds away from the employment opportunities we are working to create. For a comprehensive list of the items we can and can’t accept and the condition each item must be in, please visit our A to Z guide.
visit our A to Z guide

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