We are a social, ethical and environmental organisation working across the UK and abroad to relieve hygiene poverty and stop products from going to waste. We are the first organisation in the UK to tackle hygiene poverty and the only directory that allows people to see exactly where their donations are making an impact in their community.
It all started in an airing cupboard back in September 2014. We realised that too many people were living with too many spare, unwanted or unused toiletry products, and that actually these items could be really helpful to others. The original premise was to collect spare toiletries for one homeless shelter in Cambridge, the donations kept coming… we now support over 500 organisations.
In 2022 we provided access to toiletries and hygiene essentials
to over 2.95 million people and diverted hundreds of
thousands of products from landfill.
Toiletries Amnesty works with homeless shelters and hostels, women’s refuges, mental health services, end of life care hospices, food banks, NHS Trust services, cancer patients support, refugee support services, LGBTQ+ groups, prison services, childrens centres, young peoples services, schools, colleges, community groups, and other organisations that need our support.
Our mission is to alleviate hygiene poverty while reducing waste by connecting donors to the places and people that need these products the most.
We do this with a complex up to date interactive directory of organisations that need spare bathroom and beauty products, and by actively building collaborations between these organisations and supporters of all sizes, from individuals to large companies.
- We believe in considerate consumption and production.
- We promote waste minimisation and the redistribution of excess stocks of toiletries to people who do not have the means to access these basic products.
- We connect communities and people who want to help others.
It’s true, there shouldn’t be a situation where so many people are in such desperate need, but that’s the situation we’re in, and the best we can do is to help others in any way we can. It’s not just about supporting local communities and forming more understanding relationships in society, it’s about demonstrating that a small act can have a huge and positive effect on us all, as well as helping decrease our environmental impact.
‘The number of children living in poverty reached 4.3 million in 2021, that’s 30% of children living in the UK, and specialists expect that to grow.’
(The Children’s Society, 2021)
There are lots of ways you can support Toiletries Amnesty, big and small. Toiletries Amnesty receives no government funding, and we provide our services for free to the organisations we support in ending hygiene poverty. Financial donations are vital in ensuring that we can continue the work we do. Donations, big or small, are vital in ensuring that we can make a significant impact and continue the work we do – we really can’t do it without you. Donate here.
When it comes to donating your toiletries we wanted to make it as easy as possible for everyone to get involved, so we created a directory of those who’d really appreciate a little bit of help from us all. You can see what the organisations do, and where they are, and you can see how to get in touch with them. Please do mention Toiletries Amnesty – they’ll totally know what you mean!
Small actions make big changes. Thank you for getting involved.