In the United Kingdom, unclaimed baggage follows a strict 90-day protocol before it is permanently disposed of or sold. Initially, the airline or the airport's "Lost and Found" department will store the bag for several weeks while they attempt to contact the owner using luggage tags or internal IDs. If the bag remains unclaimed after roughly 90 days, it is legally considered abandoned property. At this point, the bags are often sent to specialized auction houses, such as Greasbys in South London. These auctions sell the suitcases—often "blind," meaning the bidders don't know exactly what is inside—to the highest bidder. The proceeds from these sales are typically used to cover the airline's storage and administrative costs, with any surplus often donated to charity. It is a common misconception that the airport staff keeps the items; in reality, every item is logged, and the auction process is a transparent way to clear the massive volume of luggage that goes unclaimed every year in the UK. Items that are deemed unsellable or hazardous are destroyed in an environmentally responsible manner.