Used equipment in SJPP

Interesting question, but I trully doubt there is anyone enterprising enough to collect stuff left behind and bring it back to the place where everyone starts with more than they need to begin with. The stuff left behind is rarely handy: sleeping bags, foam mats, cooking equipment, socks, sweaters. I am trying to envision the stuff I have seen that was left behind and it is normally bulky/heavy items that weren't being used.

Sometimes there is good stuff left behind, most recently a serviceable bike (already found a good home) and I often think that sorting through these things and bringing the GOOD stuff back up the Camino to some donativo places that redistributes them might be a worthwhile project.

Buen Camino, SY

Sybille an excellent idea for a project, but don't you think the distribution point would be better in some place like Pamplona or Burgos? There is a company in the US called ETBH that auctions items from houses that are for sale. It is an interesting concept. This thing could be turned into a donation and recycling center for used gear all along the Camino allowing pilgrims to begin their trek with the minimum of gear and then drop it off at the end of their pilgrimage and help the next pilgrim gear up. The money involved goes to a worthy cause like benches and shade trees where they are needed.

I'm always on budget.
And I don't have a lot of second thoughts when it come to this what follows..
Two pairs of "new" tech socks this year, three tech T-shirts in 2016, one super-dooper modern towel in 2015, pair of walking sticks (with suspension) in 2014. Not to mention books. I can't complain.
Weren't forgotten but left in donativo boxes!
Thank you unknown pilgrims

In some albergues there is a bin with a sign saying "Deja lo que no uses, toma lo que necesites" (roughly, "leave what you do not use anymore, take what you need".)
I suppose a more organized system would imply carrying stuff from Compostela back to Pamplona. But I also suppose that pilgrim are expected to contribute to local economy...

@biarritzdon Great idea. Perhaps best to start with a branded collection system, the way many charities collect such items here in the US, using the giant mailbox-looking containers as drop points.

Or, perhaps, partner with an existing charity organization in Spain, one that already has in place a motivated volunteer network, physical locations, and existing distribution channels. (Like St. Vincent's in the US.) No need to reinvent the wheel. This lets the focus be on Camino-specific clothing/equipment, and gets the idea into action much faster. The charity would benefit from the increased exposure and the new revenue stream.

What would be especially nice is if the clothing and equipment were sorted and assembled into fully-loaded backpacks and reserved for charitable groups or organizations that bring, say, members of their communities who could not otherwise dream of taking on the expense of the Camino.

"Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts." - Mark Twain