Try offering your unwanted items to friends and family who may be able to take them away for free.

Otherwise, there are ways to pass on usable items for free to other people online:

Sites such as Freecycle and Freegle are non-profit networks of people who are giving (and getting) stuff for free in their own towns and keeping good stuff out of landfills. Membership is free, and everything posted must be free, legal and appropriate for all ages.  

There are other online gifting sites available, as well as groups on Facebook where you can advertise your unwanted items free to a good home.

If you give an item away on sites like Freecycle, Freegle and Facebook, the person receiving it will take it away (and reuse it) for free. 

Safety first

When giving items away, don't be pressurised into letting someone into your home. Do make sure someone else is in the house when the taker comes to collect.

It's also a good idea to have a mobile phone in your pocket, keep valuables out of sight, and to limit the collector's movements to as few rooms as possible. Don't give out too many personal details.

If you decide to give out your phone number, only give it to one person at once, to avoid getting swamped with calls.

Some groups let members include phone numbers in group emails, but it's not a good idea to give out personal details on the internet.