Surplus goods and leftover stock is an issue faced by corporations the world over. How best to face potential product waste with a view to social and environmental corporate responsibility has long been a point of contention between governments, charitable aids and business sector parties.

As a result, organisations such as In Kind Direct have been developed to tackle these issues head on. Unwanted or surplus essential items are redistributed to not-for-profit organisations who aim to help families in need, while promoting environmental and social responsibility in-house.

Created in 1997, In Kind Direct is one of The Prince’s Charities. Overseen by the Prince of Wales, the charities collectively raise over £100m annually and are particularly concerned with promoting equal opportunity and business enterprise. The aim of In Kind Direct is to marry these two facets by linking corporations with charitable causes; promoting CSR in major brands while addressing the pressing need for high-quality essential provisions.

Community nurseries, children’s hospices and disability groups, recreational clubs for disadvantaged families and welfare organisations are among the 7,500 not-for-profit groups who have benefitted from the redistribution of goods. With research suggesting that now over one million families across the UK are reliant on food banks, organisations such as In Kind Direct are becoming increasingly important as another source of non-edible household essentials.

Goods such as laundry supplies, health products, stationary and footwear are among the most requested items. As a result, major corporations dealing with consumer goods such as Proctor and Gamble (P&G) have contributed to In Kind Direct’s cause. Donating branded products ensures a higher quality than the organisation’s users might ordinarily afford, while P&G elevate their CSR through involvement with a cause for the social good. Wastage and warehouse costs are also reduced by manufacturers, promoting a positive environmental outlook and encouraging both staff and consumer to make socially responsible choices.

These corporate choices are reflected in the views of In Kind Direct’s charity partners. Wendy Mahoney, trustee at Stanley Mews Community Trust in Wellingborough, who says, “As a charity and as a staff team our opinion of the donors has massively improved. We’ve got a much more positive view about companies we might previously have just seen as very commercial organisations, knowing that they have a social conscience.”

Another high profile multinational to contribute to In Kind Direct is the Disney Store, providing soft toys for children at difficult times for families, such as during the Christmas period.

Its annual ‘Share the Magic’ initiative encourages families visiting the Disney Store to write a ‘Letter to Santa’. For every letter posted, a soft toy is donated to a child through a charitable organisation. Its collaboration with In Kind Direct in 2014 saw the 100,000th soft toy donated to charity, while cementing the association of the Walt Disney Company with charitable economic and social causes.

With issues such as the refugee crises at the forefront of the global consciousness, organisations such as In Kind Direct will require increased donations and recognition of its endeavours. Corporations can, in this way, make a real difference to grassroots UK charities.