Dunelm's long-standing partnership with British Heart Foundation (BHF) has now raised over £1m to support research into heart disease, stroke, vascular dementia and other life-threatening conditions.
Since 2016, Dunelm customers have been able to donate used furniture and mattresses to BHF, helping to divert over 215 tonnes of items from waste streams and giving them a new life. This initiative supports the transition to a circular economy, where resources are kept in use for as long as possible rather than being disposed of.
BHF offers free collection of furniture, mattresses and other household items, provided they are in a saleable condition and, where applicable, still have the fire label attached. Every donation helps fund research and contributes to a more sustainable future. In its last FY alone, Dunelm customers helped raise over £250,000 for BHF.
To further support customers in responsibly disposing of bulky items, Dunelm partners with Clearabee, offering a recycling service for items that cannot be collected by BHF.
As part of its Good & Circular approach to sustainability, Dunelm also runs a textile takeback scheme across 175 Dunelm stores, where customers can take back unwanted textiles. The scheme currently collects some 120 tonnes of unwanted textiles for reuse or recycling each month, and collected a total of almost 1,500 tonnes in the last financial year alone, a 24% increase on the previous year.
Read more about the retailer's sustainability initiatives in its 2025 Sustainability Report.
Christina Downend, head of responsible sourcing at Dunelm, says: “We’re incredibly proud of our partnership with the British Heart Foundation and the impact it’s had – both in supporting lifesaving research and helping our customers make more sustainable choices. We remain committed to being good and circular across our business, and this partnership demonstrates how small actions can lead to big change."
Karen O’Donoghue, head of retail partnerships at British Heart Foundation, adds: “We are delighted to celebrate this milestone in our partnership and are incredibly grateful to Dunelm and their customers for supporting British Heart Foundation. Every donated item plays a vital role in funding lifesaving research into cardiovascular disease.
“Reaching the £1m mark is a powerful reminder of what’s possible when businesses embrace the circular economy and communities unite behind a meaningful cause.”
