furniture · Ontario

Where to donate furniture in London

4 organizations in and around London that take donated furniture — what each one accepts, what it turns away, and which will come and collect it.

Verified 2026-09-24 from each organization's own website. We are not affiliated with anyone listed here, nobody pays to be included, and we receive nothing if you donate to them.

With furniture, value runs opposite to bulk: the sofa you most want gone is the hardest thing in the house to give away, and the plain brown dresser you were going to put on the curb may be the only thing in the room worth money. Before you call anyone, pull a drawer out and look at the joint. Solid wood or particleboard is the one fact that decides whether you are making calls or filling the bin.

How to tell what you have got

Before you call anyone, two minutes with the object settles most of it. None of this needs an expert — it needs a flashlight and a look at the back.

  • Mid-century teak or walnut carrying a maker's markTip the piece forward or pull the bottom drawer right out and look at the underside and the back panel. You are looking for a branded or stamped maker's mark, a metal tag, or a paper label - often on the underside of a drawer bottom, inside the carcass back, or under a table top. Photograph it before anything moves, then search the exact wording of the mark.
  • Teak or rosewood sideboards and credenzasSolid wood, not veneer over particleboard: look at the top edge and the door edges. Real teak shows continuous grain wrapping around the edge. Veneered particleboard shows a thin facing line and a different-coloured core underneath.
  • Solid hardwood chests, dressers and dining tables with dovetailed drawersTake one drawer right out and look at the front corner. Interlocking wedge-shaped fingers cut into the wood is a dovetail. Staples, or a dowel-and-glue butt joint, or a stapled-on plywood bottom, means it is not in this category.
  • Matched sets of four or more dining chairsCount them and check they genuinely match: same wood, same wear, same upholstery batch. Turn one over and look for a maker's stamp under the seat rail.
  • Real leather seating that is intactPress the seat with your thumb. Leather warms, creases into fine lines, and the grain varies across the hide. Vinyl and bonded leather stay cool, show a repeating embossed pattern, and peel or flake at the wear points.
  • Solid wood bed frames and headboardsLift one side rail. Solid hardwood rails are heavy and show end grain. Hollow metal or wrapped particleboard rails are not worth moving.
  • Oak filing cabinets, barrister bookcases, drafting tables and workbenchesWeight and fasteners. If it is heavy, held together with bolts or mortise-and-tenon joints rather than cam locks, and the drawers run on steel rather than plastic, it is in this category.

What this list turns away

Counted from what each place says on its own site, not from what is generally true. Most refusals are about condition and completeness rather than category.

  • 4 of 4 will not take hazardous materialGoodwill Industries, Ontario Great Lakes, Habitat for Humanity Heartland Ontario ReStore, Society of Saint Vincent de Paul London, TRY Recycling
  • 2 of 4 will not take mattresses and box springsGoodwill Industries, Ontario Great Lakes, Society of Saint Vincent de Paul London
  • 2 of 4 will not take large appliancesGoodwill Industries, Ontario Great Lakes, Society of Saint Vincent de Paul London
  • 2 of 4 will not take anything damaged or stainedGoodwill Industries, Ontario Great Lakes, Habitat for Humanity Heartland Ontario ReStore

Rarely worth anything

Not a rule, and not a reason to bin something without asking. These are the things people most often expect to be worth money and find are not.

  • Particleboard and MDF flat-pack, once it has been taken apart
  • Used mattresses and box springs
  • Sofa beds
  • Entertainment units and armoires built for tube televisions
  • Worn upholstered recliners and fabric sectionals
  • Futons and futon frames
  • Anything that smells
  • Desks and shelving with printed paper woodgrain surfaces
Cribs made before September 1986 should not be used, and non-compliant products cannot be sold or given away Canada (federal)

Health Canada states that cribs made before September 1986 should not be used and that they do not meet current safety regulations, giving slat spacing as an example. Its second-hand shopping guidance adds that cribs made before September 1986 are likely not to meet current regulatory requirements and should not be purchased. Combined with the rule below on giving away non-compliant products, this covers a garage sale, an online listing, a charity donation and passing it to family alike.

Read the rule →
Consumer product safety law covers used goods and free giveaways, not just retail sales Canada (federal)

Health Canada states that "Any person who sells, distributes, or gives away consumer products not complying with the current regulatory requirements is breaking the law in Canada", and that "The CCPSA and its regulations do not distinguish between new and used products." Second-hand status is not a defence, and neither is giving the item away rather than selling it.

Read the rule →
Mattresses must meet a cigarette combustion-resistance standard Canada (federal)

The Mattresses Regulations (SOR/2016-183) under the Canada Consumer Product Safety Act require testing to CAN/CGSB-4.2 No. 27.7. The definition of mattress expressly excludes mattress pads, parts of upholstered furniture, and crib, cradle and bassinet mattresses. There is no equivalent general federal flammability standard for upholstered furniture in Canada - do not apply US state rules such as California's TB117 here.

Read the rule →

4 places in London that take furniture

Goodwill Industries, Ontario Great Lakes

Not stated - ask them
TakesClothing, Household items and housewares, Books, Electronics, computers and phones, Cameras, Shoes and linens, Small appliances under 50 lbs, Small furniture under 50 lbs, Televisions and monitors under 50 lbs, Video games, Backpacks and purses, Wheelchairs and walkers
Won't takeMattresses and box springs, Large furniture and heavy items over 50 lbs, Hazardous, recalled or banned items, or items not meeting current safety standards, Large appliances, Construction materials, Damaged furniture, Food, Paint and chemicals, Pianos, Swimming pools, Weapons
CollectionTheir donate page describes drop-off at a Donation Centre and never mentions a home pickup service. Do not imply one exists. They also state plainly: 'All donations must be clean and in resale condition.'
WhereLondon presence is confirmed on their own about page, which names London in the list of communities served, and their head office address is in London. Their locator page states 'Goodwill, Ontario Great Lakes operates over 45 Donation Centres across Southern Ontario' — but the actual location list renders dynamically and showed only a 'Loading…' placeholder, so I could NOT verify a single specific London donation centre address. Link to their locator at https://www.goodwillindustries.ca/donation-centre-locator/ and publish no London street address. The researcher's figure was unsourced; 'over 45' is their own wording. Head office: 255 Horton Street East, 2nd Floor, London, Ontario N6B 1L1.
Visit their site →519-850-9000

Habitat for Humanity Heartland Ontario ReStore

Will collect, conditions apply
TakesQuality new and gently used furniture, Appliances, Home decor, Renovation and building materials, Cabinets, Lighting, Plumbing and HVAC fixtures
Won't takeBroken, unsafe, recalled or non-functional items, Dirty, stained or heavily worn items, Water damaged, mouldy or mildew affected items, Items missing essential components, Hazardous materials, Baby items, Unframed glass or mirrors
CollectionThere is NO general free furniture pickup. The only no-cost collection their site describes is the Salvage & Deconstruction program, quoted verbatim: 'Before your renovation begins, let our Salvage Team professionally remove your usable cabinets, doors, sinks, and other fixtures at no cost.' That is a pre-renovation fixture salvage, not a couch pickup. Ordinary donations go through the London donation form at https://www.habitat4home.ca/london-donation-form, where you upload photos first; the form does not state whether a pickup or a drop-off follows. Phone the store before loading a vehicle.
Where5-40 Pacific Court, London, ON
Visit their site →519-659-1949

Society of Saint Vincent de Paul London

Will collect, conditions apply
TakesMen's clothing, Pots and pans, Bedding, sheets and blankets, Towels, Tall boy / chest dressers, Loveseats, Couches
Won't takeRipped or heavily worn furniture, Sofa beds, Mattresses and box springs, Large appliances, Paint, parts or hazardous waste, Blinds, tanks or building materials
CollectionFurniture pickup by truck, arranged in advance. Call (519) 438-7071 or email donations585york@gmail.com with photos of the furniture, the pickup address and a contact phone number. The truck runs on a neighbourhood schedule quoted on their donations page: Monday Northeast, Tuesday Northwest, Thursday Southwest, Friday Southeast. No fee is mentioned anywhere on the page, but the page never uses the word 'free' — do not badge this as free pickup. Drop-off at 585 York Street, Monday to Friday 9am-4pm.
Where585 York Street, London, ON N6B 1R6
Visit their site →(519) 438-7071

TRY Recycling

Drop off only
TakesHousehold items, Large indoor and outdoor items, Freon appliances, Construction and renovation debris, Metal items, Electronics, Tires, Mattresses, Yard waste and clean wood, Asphalt, concrete, fill and rubble
Won't takeAsbestos, Paint cans, Oil cans, Light bulbs, Propane tanks, Batteries, Household curbside waste, Blue box recyclables, Food waste
CollectionNOT A CHARITY. This is a commercial facility that charges by weight and by item, and it must be presented that way or the page misleads. Prices read on their site: minimum charge $31.45 covering up to 190kg of mixed materials; household items $143.00/tonne; large items $9.95/item; mattresses $16.25/unit; electronics and metal free. Prices change — the page should say 'verify current pricing before you load the car' and link out rather than lean on these figures.
WhereTwo sites: London North at 21463 Clarke Rd, Arva, ON N0M 1C0 and London South at 3544 Dingman Drive, London, ON N6E 3X1. Weekday hours 7AM-5PM at both; weekend hours differ, so link to their site.
A commercial recycling business, not a charity. They charge to take material.
Visit their site →519-457-1566

Not sure what you have got?

Photograph it and we will tell you what it is and what it is worth — including when the honest answer is that it is worth nothing.

See what it's worth Sell it instead → Everything in London →

Other things in London

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Furniture in other cities

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