Most furniture donation pages tell you to "give your couch a second life." Few of them say who will actually come and get it in Oshawa or Whitby, what it costs, or how much they turn down. Here is each option, from each organization's own donation page, read on 6 October 2026.
Start with the refusal lists. They are long, and they are where most donation plans fall apart.
Every option at a glance
| Organization | Picks up furniture? | Cost | Where | What they refuse |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Habitat ReStore (Oshawa store) | Yes, if approved from photos | Curbside free; inside main floor $150 (1–3 items), $300 (4–7), $450 (8+) | Oshawa store; pickup form confirms your address | Mattresses, box springs, sofa beds, anything damaged or stained, big hutches and entertainment units, desks over 5 ft |
| Furniture Bank | Yes, for a fee | From $150, no HST, tax receipt | East to Whitby; not Oshawa or beyond | Major appliances, cabinetry, vanities, broadloom, marble, clothing; anything stained, torn, mouldy, or with pests |
| Salvation Army Thrift Store | No | — | Whitby store drop-off | All furniture, mattresses, barbecues, infant equipment |
| Diabetes Canada (Declutter) | No — bagged or boxed items only | Free | Enter your address for dates | All furniture, beds, large appliances, TVs and monitors |
| Value Village (Oshawa) | No — drop-off only | Free | 1199 Ritson Road North | Damaged furniture, mattresses, large appliances, TVs and monitors (small furniture accepted) |
| St. Vincent de Paul thrift shop (Oshawa) | No | — | 15 Albert Street South | Large furniture |
| CDCD Furniture Connect | No — the recipient collects from you | Free | Durham-wide | Matched to a family's need |
Habitat ReStore: the one that comes to Oshawa
The Habitat ReStore at 200 John Street West in Oshawa is now run by Habitat for Humanity GTA. In June 2026 it put out a call for donations in Oshawa. It is the only option here that takes a good sofa, a dining set, and a working fridge, and will send a truck for them.
How pickup works, from its pickup FAQ:
- Fill in the donation form with photos. Staff decide from the photos whether it qualifies.
- Curbside pickup is free. That means your garage, porch, driveway, or a condo loading bay.
- Inside the house costs money, and only from the main floor: $150 for one to three items, $300 for four to seven, $450 for eight or more. Everything has to be brought to the main floor first. The drivers do not take items apart or remove doors.
- Book at least 10 days ahead.
- If you cancel with less than 48 hours' notice, or nobody is there and the items are not accessible after a 15-minute wait, there is a $155 fee.
- The drivers can still refuse items at your door. Photos can miss things, and everything has to be in saleable condition.
- You get a tax receipt for the assessed value, within 60 days.
What the ReStore passes on:
- Anything damaged, water-damaged, mouldy, cut, broken, incomplete, missing parts, or excessively stained or dirty
- Mattresses, box springs, and sofa beds
- Large hutches, large entertainment units, and desks over 5 feet long
- Cribs, high chairs, strollers, and any baby item with a belt or restraint
- Home gym equipment
- Medical equipment: wheelchairs, scooters, hospital beds, stairlifts
- Mirrors without frames, corded window coverings, office cubicles
- Used toilets, stone countertops, used clothing, books
- Outdated audio and video equipment
- Hazardous waste and recalled products
The pickup FAQ also excludes subzero-style refrigerators. Drop-offs are accepted during store hours, but the store warns it may say no based on age, condition, or space.
Furniture Bank: west Durham only, and it charges
Furniture Bank is a Toronto charity that runs a paid removal service and gives the furniture to families in need. Its pickup area runs east to Whitby. Pickering, Ajax, and Whitby addresses can book. Oshawa, Clarington, and the north are outside the zone.
Cost, priced by how much of the truck you fill: a quarter truck (a sofa, a table, chairs) is $150–$500, a half truck $500–$1,000, three-quarters $1,000–$1,500, and a full truck $1,500 and up. It charges no HST, because it is a charity, and gives a tax receipt for the fair market value of what it accepts. The receipt does not refund the fee dollar for dollar. Booking to pickup is usually one to two days. Drop-off at its Etobicoke warehouse is free.
What it takes that others do not: gently used mattresses and box springs, free of stains or tears.
What it refuses: clothing, towels, and linens, major appliances (stoves, fridges, dishwashers, washers, dryers), construction debris, wall-to-wall broadloom, marble, bathroom vanities, and cabinetry. It rejects any item showing signs of bed bugs or other pests, mould, bodily fluids, or deep stains. Minor wear is fine.
Salvation Army, Diabetes Canada, and Value Village: not for furniture
These three get named in every donation list. None of them will take a couch off your hands.
- The Salvation Army Thrift Store says it is unable to offer donation pick-up and cannot accept furniture or mattresses. The Whitby thrift store at 311 Brock Street North takes clothing and household goods at the door, Monday to Saturday, 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
- Diabetes Canada will pick up from your doorstep, but only sealed bags or boxes under 40 lb. Clothing, linens, kitchenware, small appliances, books, and toys are fine. All furniture, beds, large appliances, TVs and monitors, and infant products are refused, and loose items are left behind.
- Value Village in Oshawa, at 1199 Ritson Road North, takes drop-offs on behalf of Diabetes Canada. It accepts small furniture, but not damaged furniture, mattresses, large appliances, or TVs and monitors.
Two more local options worth knowing. The St. Vincent de Paul thrift shop at 15 Albert Street South in Oshawa does not accept large furniture, according to its 211 listing. The Community Development Council Durham runs Furniture Connect out of Ajax. It matches donated furniture with registered low-income clients. CDCD does not pick up or deliver: the matched family collects it from you. Call 905-686-2661, extension 220.
Why so much gets refused
Every charity above resells or re-homes what it takes, so it has to be safe, clean, complete, and something a family will use. Mattresses and upholstery carry a bed bug risk. Baby gear has recall and safety rules. Oversized pieces do not fit in apartments. A stain or a wobble that you have stopped noticing is the first thing a driver sees.
Before you book, check each piece honestly:
- Is it stained, torn, scratched through, or missing a part?
- Does it smell of smoke or pets?
- Is it a mattress, a sofa bed, or a crib?
- Is it bigger than a five-foot desk, or a wall unit?
- Is it a large appliance? Only the ReStore takes those, and only working.
If the answer to any of those is yes, plan for it being refused.
What to do with what they refuse
The free curb first. Every Durham municipality collects some large items:
- Ajax, Pickering, Clarington, Uxbridge, Scugog, and Brock: two bulky items per collection through the Region.
- Oshawa: six items, free, booked through the City.
- Whitby: up to twelve items for $27, each under 20 kg.
The curbside lookup has every rule.
The dump second. A refused couch is about $8 at a Regional facility, and a mattress is $7. Every Durham drop-off's hours and fees are on one page. Mattresses have their own guide.
Us third. Hire when the piece is upstairs, there are more than the curb takes, you do not have a truck, or a charity driver left it in the driveway. Our published rates, before HST: $109–$169 for a single item, $209–$309 for a quarter trailer, $379–$489 for a half. If a piece in your photos looks good enough for the ReStore, we will tell you to book Habitat's free curbside pickup first.
Clearing a whole house for a move or an estate? Do the donation pickups first and book us for what is left. Estate cleanouts and the pre-listing checklist cover the order of work.
Got a "no" from a charity? Send photos of what is left.
Frequently asked questions
We run junk removal across Durham Region — Oshawa, Whitby, Ajax, Pickering, Clarington, Uxbridge, Scugog, and Brock. We price jobs from customer photos so the number you're told is the number you pay.