I was in a shop today, and I asked the employee who was helping me if she knew of charity shops where I could donate, explaining that if I bought something in her shop, I would need to make room in my luggage by donating something I brought. She very helpfully described the location of a charity organization near the train station.
I worked housekeeping in Waikiki. People always left inflatable rafts, beach towels, boogie boards, sand toys, and sunglasses behind. We had a rule that a customer had 30 days to claim an item, then it got donated. I can’t imagine how many plastic sand toys that donation center ended up with. And in Hawaii, you’re not putting those in a landfill. There’s no room.
I saw a hysterical comedy show on Ocracoke Island about tourists and what they leave behind. My favorite was about the mountains of condiments left in the fridge and brainstorming what they could do with it. It was a nice way to say, “Take your junk with you!’
If we cannot find a place to donate, I leave a note saying that I no longer need these items and hope (name, if known) can keep them, gift them or trash them and I sign my name. Hopefully that works. I do it because I don’t want them “systemized” at anyone’s expense/waste. Once I accidentally left a library book at a hotel and their system was so complicated and run by an outside company that they had a price list for types of items and to get my one book back was $50 plus actual postage and took 6-8 weeks (inside the US). Alternatively they could donate it to charity with my authorization so I went that route and paid the library. Btw, I’d only left the book there a couple of hours prior and was willing to go get it. Some large chain—can’t remember what now.
Holy cow. This is such valuable information! We are guilty of purposefully leaving things at just about every place we’ve stayed. Only one (a Hilton in Bordeaux) ever contacted us to ask if we wanted the items back. I always wondered what happened to everything else we left behind in hotels, cruise ships, and apartments. Thanks for this eye opening and helpful post!
What I've done in the past is to write a signed note (using Google Translate - unless the language uses a script I can't write in) saying something like "Dear Housekeeping, please take these if you want them" - similar to what you've suggested. Or sometimes dropped them at reception, or given them to staff directly. I'd also add that leaving things in the room (as long as they genuinely might be useful) isn't creating more work for staff in smaller places - there they don't have to log them on a system, they can just keep them or chuck them. And of course staying in smaller, family-run places rather than big hotel chains is usually the more responsible option anyway.
I've never even thought about this, Chris! To avoid having to write a note and wondering what the downstream effect was, I think I'd more likely scope out a local donation center while I'm in the area or just take it with me and try to give it away to people I meet. But we shall see how I actually handle things once I start traveling!
The things I’ve left behind often have wear left in them but won’t work in my next environment. Think hiking boats, puffer jackets, snorkel gear. I certainly don’t over pack nor overbuy. I carry everything I own in the world with me. But now that I’ve researched this problem, I’ve changed my leave-behind behavior.
I was in a shop today, and I asked the employee who was helping me if she knew of charity shops where I could donate, explaining that if I bought something in her shop, I would need to make room in my luggage by donating something I brought. She very helpfully described the location of a charity organization near the train station.
Oh, I love this pro-active approach. Good job!
Thought-provoking. You're so right with the "don't buy it in the first place".
If only!
I worked housekeeping in Waikiki. People always left inflatable rafts, beach towels, boogie boards, sand toys, and sunglasses behind. We had a rule that a customer had 30 days to claim an item, then it got donated. I can’t imagine how many plastic sand toys that donation center ended up with. And in Hawaii, you’re not putting those in a landfill. There’s no room.
I guess thats a weird incentive to shop at the Waikiki GoodWill for beach toys?
I had no idea!
I saw a hysterical comedy show on Ocracoke Island about tourists and what they leave behind. My favorite was about the mountains of condiments left in the fridge and brainstorming what they could do with it. It was a nice way to say, “Take your junk with you!’
Kinda like the mystery cabinet at a hostel?
This is incredibly helpful! Thanks Chris!
you bet
If we cannot find a place to donate, I leave a note saying that I no longer need these items and hope (name, if known) can keep them, gift them or trash them and I sign my name. Hopefully that works. I do it because I don’t want them “systemized” at anyone’s expense/waste. Once I accidentally left a library book at a hotel and their system was so complicated and run by an outside company that they had a price list for types of items and to get my one book back was $50 plus actual postage and took 6-8 weeks (inside the US). Alternatively they could donate it to charity with my authorization so I went that route and paid the library. Btw, I’d only left the book there a couple of hours prior and was willing to go get it. Some large chain—can’t remember what now.
Thus, the reason for the four points in the note!
Yes! I was glad to see I’d been unknowingly doing it correctly, hopefully.
Holy cow. This is such valuable information! We are guilty of purposefully leaving things at just about every place we’ve stayed. Only one (a Hilton in Bordeaux) ever contacted us to ask if we wanted the items back. I always wondered what happened to everything else we left behind in hotels, cruise ships, and apartments. Thanks for this eye opening and helpful post!
What I've done in the past is to write a signed note (using Google Translate - unless the language uses a script I can't write in) saying something like "Dear Housekeeping, please take these if you want them" - similar to what you've suggested. Or sometimes dropped them at reception, or given them to staff directly. I'd also add that leaving things in the room (as long as they genuinely might be useful) isn't creating more work for staff in smaller places - there they don't have to log them on a system, they can just keep them or chuck them. And of course staying in smaller, family-run places rather than big hotel chains is usually the more responsible option anyway.
Yes all of these things are true. The smaller and more local the place the better.
I've never even thought about this, Chris! To avoid having to write a note and wondering what the downstream effect was, I think I'd more likely scope out a local donation center while I'm in the area or just take it with me and try to give it away to people I meet. But we shall see how I actually handle things once I start traveling!
Yes, that's always our intention, but sometimes Nomad Life gets in the way!
The things I’ve left behind often have wear left in them but won’t work in my next environment. Think hiking boats, puffer jackets, snorkel gear. I certainly don’t over pack nor overbuy. I carry everything I own in the world with me. But now that I’ve researched this problem, I’ve changed my leave-behind behavior.