FAQ

  • We don't have a brick-and-mortar shop—The Bunny Bin operates online and through toy drives across New England. You can, however, browse a rotating selection of our gently-loved stuffies in person at Barnard General Store. We're also open to partnering with more local shops down the road, so if you spot us somewhere new, that's why.

  • Millions of toys are discarded each year—especially stuffed animals. Despite being among the most loved toys children own, they are also among the most frequently discarded once they’re outgrown.

    By cleaning, preparing, and rehoming gently used stuffed animals, The Bunny Bin helps extend the life of toys that might otherwise end up in landfills, incinerators, or eventually make their way into the environment.

  • We’re so glad you asked! This is something we’re deeply passionate about: Because the mission comes first, and we believe a nonprofit status would get in the way of it.

    We have enormous respect for nonprofits and the people who run them. They do essential, world-changing work, and that work requires a particular kind of dedication to compliance, fundraising cycles, board governance, and government reporting that we greatly admire. It's just not the right structure for what we’re building.

    Running a nonprofit means navigating all of that on top of the actual mission, and we wanted to spend our energy rescuing, repairing, and rehoming toys.

    We also believe secondhand shouldn't be synonymous with charity. The toys that come through The Bunny Bin are cherished, carefully curated, and genuinely valuable. Framing this as a nonprofit would reinforce exactly the mindset we’re trying to change, that pre-loved things are lesser and that they belong in a donation bin.

    And yes, we want to build something that can actually pay people, including our founder. Women currently control about one-third of all retail financial assets in the U.S.—a number that sounds significant until you realize it means two-thirds is still concentrated elsewhere. They receive just 2% of venture capital funding. Yet, the more women-led businesses thrive, the more communities benefit—and that’s quite literally the point. Our efforts as a mission-driven business support the goal rather than compete with it.

    If you’re like us—nerding out on topics like this—here’s what the research says:

    • Given the opportunity, women make more money. Startups with at least one female founder outperform all-male-founded teams, generating 63% more value and twice as much per dollar invested.

    • Investing in women has a broader social impact. That’s because female small business owners are more likely to reinvest profits into their families and local economies, prioritizing health, education, and community wellbeing in ways that ripple far beyond the business itself.

    • Women value and prioritize diversity. An EY study found that 89% of women entrepreneurs have committed to hiring diverse individuals, and 86% are purchasing from diverse suppliers.

    A nonprofit arm isn't off the table. When the time is right, when we're stable enough to support real salaries and real programming, we will have that conversation. Because there’s so much opportunity to give back, and that’s what we’re excited about.

    Right now, the most impactful thing we can do is build something that does good and does well. We hope you’ll join us.

    If you're someone who believes in supporting women-led businesses—as a customer, collaborator, or champion—we'd love to hear from you. Reach out at hello@thebunnybin.com.

  • Because The Bunny Bin is a social enterprise structured as a mission-driven LLC, donations are not tax-deductible and we are unable to provide receipts for tax purposes. This is a function of our business structure, not our commitment to the mission.

    Mission-driven LLCs operate under a different model than 501(c)(3) nonprofits, and the IRS determines deductibility based on an organization's tax status, not its purpose. We're transparent about this, and we're grateful for every donation regardless.

    If you’d like to learn more about social enterprises, we recommend this Yale Q&A and this Novel Hand article.

    You can also read more about why we’re structured this way here.

  • The toys at The Bunny Bin are gently loved and carefully inspected before being listed for adoption.

    Depending on the fabric, certain toys may also show natural pilling over time—especially soft plush materials that are meant to be cuddled and well-loved.

    Any significant imperfections will be clearly mentioned in the listing so families know exactly what to expect.

  • Every toy that arrives at The Bunny Bin goes through a multi-step cleaning and preparation process before it is listed for adoption.

    Upon arrival, toys first go into “hibernation” (the freezer) as a precaution, helping to ensure that any unwanted critters are eliminated.

    After hibernation, toys are washed and carefully cleaned. Items that cannot be machine-washed—such as toys with internal electronics or delicate materials—are cleaned by hand or surface-treated instead.

    Because every toy is different, the exact process may vary slightly depending on the toy’s materials and condition.

    You can read more about the full cleaning process here.

  • Each toy is inspected before it is listed. If a toy contains small components or other features that may not be suitable for very young children, this will be noted clearly in the listing so families can decide whether it’s appropriate for their household.

    Because these toys are pre-loved, The Bunny Bin cannot guarantee their original construction or manufacturing standards. As with any toy, adult supervision is recommended for very young children.

  • Every Bunny Bin rescue is carefully cleaned and inspected before adoption. Because these toys come from previous homes, we cannot guarantee their prior environmental conditions, including possible exposure to pets or other allergens.

    While our hope is that our rescues find homes wherever they are most loved, households managing severe allergies may wish to carefully consider whether a secondhand plush toy is the right choice.

    We hope to offer other types of toys in the near future, so more families can participate in the sustainability and circular economy mission behind The Bunny Bin.

  • ✓ Well-made plush toys that are clean, without strong odors or severe damage.

    ✗ Toys that are excessively worn, moldy, heavily soiled, or show signs of pests. Learn more here.

    Right now, we are concentrating all of our efforts on rescuing, repairing, and rehoming stuffed/plush toys. However, please check back periodically, as we may expand to other types of toys in the future.

  • Thank you for considering it. Truly. Right now, donations are accepted through:

    Before donating, please review our guidelines here.

    If you're unsure whether something qualifies, just reach out. We’d rather take a look than have something thrown away.

  • We’re currently a very small team. Kate handles all operations, donations, storytelling, and administrative tasks—with contributions from her family that are greatly appreciated.

  • New toys are typically released in biweekly rescue drops.

    Because each toy must be cleaned, inspected, photographed, and documented before it is listed, new arrivals appear in small batches rather than all at once.

    The best way to stay updated is to subscribe to the newsletter, where you’ll receive notifications when new toys are ready for adoption.

    You can also follow along on Instagram for sneak peeks and rescue stories.

  • As long as you follow our donation guidelines, there is no reason a stuffy would get rejected.

    That said, safety and sustainability are our top priorities. While we do our absolute best to repair every single stuffed animal donated, on rare occasions, a piece arrives too worn or fragile to meet the standard a new home deserves. In those cases, we salvage whatever we can and responsibly recycle what remains, in order to minimize what ends up in the landfill.

  • We're a small operation and aren't able to return rejected toys. Before donating, we encourage you to review our donation guidelines to get a clear sense of what we can and can't work with.

  • Shipping is charged once per order, not per toy. Orders over $75 ship free, so adopting a few friends at once can save on shipping.

  • We offer simple flat-rate shipping.

    • Standard Shipping: $9.95 per order

    • Oversized Plush Shipping: $19.95 per order for very large toys

    • Free Shipping: Automatically applied to orders over $75

    • At this time, The Bunny Bin ships within the United States only.

    Shipping fees help cover postage, packaging, and the careful preparation each rescued toy receives before heading to its new home.

    You can read the full shipping policy on the Shop Policies page.

  • Yes! We offer limited local pickup in Woodstock, Vermont.

    Currently, pickup is available on a limited basis. Because The Bunny Bin is a one-woman operation, all pickups must be scheduled in advance. Once your order is ready, you’ll receive an email to arrange a pickup time and a convenient public meeting location in Woodstock.

    Pickup days and times may occasionally change as the project grows, but we’ll always coordinate directly with you to make sure your rescued toy safely makes its way to its new home.

  • Orders typically ship within 7–10 business days.

    The Bunny Bin is currently a one-woman operation, and each toy is individually prepared before it leaves the rescue center. Thank you for your patience while we get everyone safely on their way.

  • Yes. Once your order ships, you’ll receive an email with tracking information so you can follow your rescued toy on its journey to its new home.

  • Whenever possible, The Bunny Bin uses recycled and reused packaging. This may include previously used boxes, mailers, or other shipping materials that are still in good condition.

    Reusing packaging helps reduce waste and keeps rescued toys part of a more circular system. Every toy is still packed carefully to make sure it arrives safely at its new home.

  • The Adoption Archive is a living record of Bunny Bin rescues that have been adopted. It is a place that honors the toys that found homes and the stories that followed them there. 

    If you've adopted from us, we would love to hear from you! Send us your photos, share stories or memories with us, or simply tell us where our rescues have landed. We update the Adoption Archive regularly, so if you've donated, keep an eye out for news from the toys you sent our way.

    Our mission at The Bunny Bin is to preserve where our rescues came from, connect generations that love them, and build a community around the simple truth that secondhand never means second-best.

  • Once we receive your photos and stories, we will personally update your toy's Archive page to include all of the wonderful new information you shared. And please don't hesitate to keep us posted. As long as we have the bandwidth, we'll keep their page current as their adventures continue.

  • We appreciate your patience, as we are currently a very small team. Rest assured we are doing our best to get your toy's updates onto their Archive page as soon as possible, but please allow a few business days for those updates to appear.

  • No. Submitting stories and/or photos to the Adoption Archive is entirely voluntary. That said, we love hearing from adopters. Every update is a small act of resistance against overconsumption, disposability, and throwaway culture.

    And those stories, taken together, are the whole point.

  • If something isn’t quite right, please reach out through the Contact page, and we’ll do our best to make it right.

  • Yes. Returns are accepted within 30 days of delivery if the item is in the same condition it arrived. Because each Bunny Bin rescue is unique, exchanges may not always be possible, but we’re happy to help you find another friend if available.

    You can read our full return policy on the Shop Policies page.

    Mailing Address
    The Bunny Bin
    PO Box 172
    Woodstock, VT 05091

    For UPS / FedEx deliveries:
    22 Central St #172
    Woodstock, VT 05091

  • The best way to stay in the loop is to subscribe to the newsletter, where you’ll receive updates when new toys are ready for adoption and when rescue drops go live.

    You can also follow along on Instagram for behind-the-scenes moments, rescue stories, and new arrivals as they make their way through The Bunny Bin.

  • You can follow along on social media to see new arrivals, rescue stories, and upcoming toy drops.

    You can also subscribe to the newsletter to be notified when new toys are listed on the site.

    Follow along here:

  • Thank you for asking. You’re our kind of person—it genuinely means so much to connect with other folks who are passionate about protecting our planet.

    Here are a few easy ways you can get more involved:

    • Share an update about your adopted toy via the Adoption Archive.

    • Download our printable flyer (coming soon!) and post it somewhere in your community, like a bulletin board, a library, or a school.

    • Talk to your friends and neighbors about toy waste. Tell a colleague, bring it up at the dinner table, or mention it to a teacher. Changing the way we, as a culture, consume starts with a conversation. And every one counts.