Charity gifts and low-waste presents

Some people would rather receive a gift to a good cause than another thing for the shelf. Others want the present itself to come with less waste. Either way, there are a few things to check before you buy and wrap.

Checking the charity

The UK has three public registers of charities, and anyone can search them.

For England and Wales, the Charity Commission's register shows what a charity does, who its trustees are, and finance information such as income and spending. It also lists any actions the Commission has taken against the charity. In England and Wales, the government's guidance says a charity should register once its annual income is over £5,000.

In Scotland, the Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR) keeps a register of all charities in Scotland. In Northern Ireland, the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland has its own charity search.

A concern about how the money was raised

The Fundraising Regulator sets and maintains the standards for charitable fundraising across the UK. The current version of its Code of Fundraising Practice has applied since 1 November 2025.

If something about a charity's fundraising worries you, start with the charity. If it can't put things right, the Fundraising Regulator looks at complaints about fundraising by charities registered in England and Wales or in Northern Ireland. For a charity registered in Scotland, the complaint goes to the Scottish Fundraising Adjudication Panel.

Wrapping that can be recycled

A government news release from December 2017 describes the "scrunch test". Paper that stays in a ball after it is scrunched in the hand can go in the recycling. The release adds that paper or cards with glitter cannot be recycled.

It also asks people to take off ribbons, bows and other decorations before the paper goes in. Your own council can say which kinds it collects.

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