Recycle stamps for charity
Don't bin your stamps - recycle them to charity instead
It was hearing about the devastating effects of plastic on marine animals and sea birds such as the albatross that kick started our own zero waste journey.
Dying at a rate of around one every five minutes, the albatross family is becoming threatened faster than any other family of birds. Eighteen of the 22 species of albatross are globally threatened with extinction.
RSPB
So what better way for us to put our old stamps to good use than through the RSPB’s “save the albatross” campaign? Their stamp appeal is one of the largest and in 2008 raised over £10,000.
You can send loose stamps; which are sent to a stamp dealer who works with various charities, or stamp albums which are sent to auction houses.
Send loose stamps direct to their dealer (preferably in 2 kilo quantities or above) to
RSPB Stamps,
PO Box 6198,
Leighton Buzzard,
Bedfordshire
LU7 9XT
Send albums or special collections to:
Save the Albatross Stamp Appeal (Special Stamps and Albums),
RSPB,
The Lodge,
Sandy,
Beds,
SG19 2DL.
Alternatively, hand deliver stamps to any of the RSPB nature reserves.
RNIB
Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) is the UK’s leading charity offering information, support and advice to over two million people with sight loss.
Every day almost 100 people in the UK will start to lose their sight and right now, RNIB can only reach one in three of the people who need help.
You can help raise funds by donating your British and foreign stamps.
Stamps sent to the RNIB are sorted by volunteers, then sold to dealers or collectors.
The RNIB ask that you cut stamps off the envelopes, leaving 1cm of envelope around each stamp. Then sort them into UK or foreign stamps and send to
RNIB Stamp Recycling
PO Box 185
BENFLEET
SS7 9BH
Why not put a collection bin in your local school, church hall or place of work?
Oxfam
Oxfam is a global movement of dedicated people fighting poverty. From saving lives and developing projects that put poor people in charge of their lives and livelihoods, to campaigning for change that lasts, Oxfam fights poverty and delivers help to the people who need it most.
Your used stamps or old stamp collections can be donated to any Oxfam shop. Oxfam has around 50 specialist stamp departments, run by experienced and knowledgeable volunteers. All stamps are carefully valued and priced to help raise funds for their charity work and campaigns.
Care and Relief for the young
Care and Relief for the young (CRY) is a Christian charity dedicated to caring for disadvantaged, destitute and suffering children, young people and their families. CRY aims to rescue and restore young lives broken by poverty, oppression, exclusion and abuse and to provide appropriate opportunities for a better future.
CRY work with street kids, children at risk, children’s homes, education, health promotion, agriculture, HIV/AIDS, day centres, drug rehab, family programmes and support for war orphans across the world.
CRY welcomes all gifts of used postage stamps which are sorted and sold on eBay to raise funds.
Sort your stamps into UK and foreign, trim around the stamp if necessary and send to
CRY Stamps and Collectables,
27 High Street,
Eastleigh,
Southampton,
SO50 5LF
or take in to your local CRY charity shop.
If you’re a stamp collector you can help CRY buy purchasing stamps from them at their online eBay store.
Animal SOS Sri Lanka
Animal SOS Sri Lanka is a UK registered charity who receives £5 per kilo for UK stamps recycled and £19 per kilo for world stamps.
This goes some way to funding their vital work with the stray animals in Sri Lanka. Animal SOS Sri Lanka own a 4-acre plot in south Sri Lanka which is an emergency veterinary clinic to treat sick and injured stray animals and a safe-haven for the vulnerable and abused.
Any funding enables them to save the lives of many otherwise doomed animals, providing high standards of veterinary care including blood screening and postoperative care after sterilisation - which is vital to ensure the survival of the animals.
Denize returned from a two-week trip to the sanctuary in Sri Lanka in March 2012 and had the most amazing experience. She writes “Whilst out there I could see the enormity of the project and how inconsistent volunteer help is. They get their fair share of vets and vet nurses but it’s people like you and me they need out there, whether for a few days or a few weeks.”
Stamps should be sent to:
Animal SOS Sri Lanka
64 Fair Acres
Prestwood
Great Missenden
Bucks HP16 0LE
e-mail: denizewoodstock@gmail.com
“When sending stamps please ensure the correct postage is put on bulky envelopes, as charities cannot afford to pay to retrieve them from the sorting office if insufficient postage is put on“.
What about you? Do you know of any other charities that can help you recycle your stamps?
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What a great idea……. I have a heap of stamps that I can send off. Thanks for sharing this information.
I do recycle used stamps. I collect them for the Guide Dogs for the Blind and send them on to them when I have a batch. I think I also have the address for the RNIB and occasionally send to them too.
Hi!
We send off our stamps to the Orangutan Foundation -
http://www.orangutan.org.uk/
the last batch we sent contained over 1000 stamps! We get alot of post it seems!
Susi
x
@Sandie: Hi Sandie, you’re welcome. I love sharing the simple things that can make a difference
@Julie Day: Great news, Julie! It’s great to share the site with so many people who care.
@Susi: Hi Susi, how lovely - thank you for sharing this link with us. I’d not come across it before, but I admit to having a bit of a soft spot for these fellas
we collect used stamps to rasie funds for our rescue dogs
@sarah: thanks for that Sarah; hopefully some of our readers will send through to you
The Pit Pony Sanctuary collect stamps, postcards etc for the ponies.
@Roy J Peckham: Thank you Roy - do you have more details about this please?
Hi!
I’m so glad there’s such an interest in recycling stamps to raise vital funds for charities. Just to let you know that Epilepsy Action also collect stamps to sell on to dealers. We accept postage stamps from any country, new, used, rare and everyday first and second class stamps. You can find more information and our address at:
http://www.epilepsy.org.uk/involved/recycling/used-stamps
Thanks in advance
@Clare: Hello Clare, welcome to the site and thanks for adding your organisation to our list
Just to let you know that I am a volunteer who also saves used stamps for the RNLI. Stamps can be sent to
RNLI used stamps, c/o 7 Speddwell, Brixham, TQ5 9MJ
@Lara: That’s great Lara - thanks for sharing the information with us!
The Army Of Angels Charity collect used stamps. The organisation support wounded troops who have served in any of the UK’s conflicts. The charity also support the immediate family members of the injured. For more information and to donate your stamps please visit the Army Of Angels using the following link. http://www.armyofangels.org.uk.
Registered Charity Number 1143612
The National Benevolent Fund for the Aged also collect used stamps. The charity supports older isolated people living in the UK. Send stamps to:
NBFA
P.O. Box 6198
Leighton Buzzard
Beds
LU7 9XT
THanks Steve and Lisa - what a great list we now have!
We have a box at the back of our church for stamps which I then take to a charity shop in our town. Someone is putting a very large amount of those Postage paid brown Royal Mail stickers in the box. I am assuming that these are not recyclable for charity and I put them in the ordinary paper recycling having had to sort them out. They are taking the trouble to bring them but I may have to put a tactful note on the box! Can you confirm they cannot help charities?
@Mary Morgan: I don’t know the answer to that Mary, Why not call a couple of charities from our list and ask them…And keep up the great work with your collection!
@Mary Morgan: Hi Mary, although it is very kind of the donor to take the time to bring the brown postage paid Royal Mail stickers, you are correct, as a charity we would not be able to convert these items in to funds.
As you say, a tactful note asking for only Royal Mail Postage Stamps, or saying that prepaid or franking mail postage marks cannot be used to raise funds is a great idea.
Good luck with your fundraising!
Clare - Epilepsy Action
The National Benevolent Fund for the Aged collect stamps. They work to end isolation and loneliness in older people in the UK - http://www.nbfa.org.uk
Please send stamps to:
NBFA
P.O. Box 6198
Leighton Buzzard
Beds
LU7 9XT
Thanks
just realised I have already posted here before - sorry about resending the info!!