Sustainable Ways to Repurpose Preloved Toys and Reduce Waste.
As a mum, I know how quickly kids outgrow their toys, and it can be tempting to throw them away when they’re no longer needed in order to declutter. However, as we become more aware of the impact of waste on the planet, it’s important to consider more sustainable ways to repurpose preloved toys. In this blog post, I’ll share some ideas on what to do with preloved toys and toys that are past their best and need to be recycled.
Regifting Preloved Toys
New toys in their packaging are regularly regifted easily enough. However, if you have any preloved toys in great condition, you may also want to consider gifting them. At a time where we are all trying to be less wasteful and create a more circular economy, it is the way forward. If you are ready to give it a go, then you will love Preloved Presents; a select and impactful, range of wrapping paper and gift tags that aim to make it easier and more acceptable to gift pre-owned presents, to be loved again and again. The wrapping paper and the gift tag make it clear that the gift is preloved and highlights the benefits of this, so no surprises, no awkward conversations, and everyone feels good about the gift. You can read more about the positive impact of gifting preloved in my blog post Why It’s Now Socially Acceptable to Give Preloved Presents.
Toy Swap
If your child has outgrown some of their toys, consider swapping them with other parents. Toy swaps are a great way to get new-to-you toys without spending any money or contributing to landfill waste. There are various toy swap events held across the country, or you can start your own in your local area, perhaps at your kids school or with your local NCT group. Alternatively, you can look for toy swapping groups on social media platforms or local websites.
Donating
Both new and preloved toys can be donated to charity shops, local hospitals, doctor surgeries, or toddler groups. For unwanted soft toys that still have some life in them, you can send them to Bearly Noticed, an adoption, and donation centre for soft toys of all shapes and sizes, keeping soft toys out of landfill by finding them a new home. You can also donate them to Loved Before, who are hoping to save the planet one teddy at a time – you can hear more in the video below. If you have books that are still in good condition, they can be given to the Children’s Book Projectt, a charity that gives out books to children in need of them.
Toys 4 Life will collect your reusable plastic toys and export them to third world countries and socially deprived areas where people are unable to afford new toys. The Toy Project recycles unwanted toys and gives them to children who need them. The Toy Project recycle unwanted toys and give them to children who need them. If you have pens and other stationary items in working order, you can donate these to Pens for Kids UK, who send the stationary to children in need around the world, to help reduce the cost of their education. Micro scooter have created ScooterAid – to re-home used scooters with children who would otherwise miss out. There are also a number of apps, facebook groups and websites where you can donate new and used toys: Olio, Freecycle, Freegle, Preloved to Reloved for Postage UK and the Golden Hearted UK Facebook.
If you aren’t in a rush to find your toys a new home, then wait until Christmas, as there are always requests for toys from local charities, hospitals, refuges, and churches. Keep an eye out on local Facebook groups for requests.
Upcycling Preloved Toys
Upcycling is a great way to repurpose toys that are no longer wanted or needed. Here are some creative ideas:
- Turn old plastic toys into planters for small succulents or herbs.
- Use broken LEGO bricks to make a picture frame or a key holder.
- Create a sensory bin using plastic animals or figures.
- Make a wall hanging or mobile using small toys and beads.
- Use old board games to make coasters or placemats.
Mend and Reuse: If some of your child’s toys have seen better days, consider repairing them rather than throwing them away. Many toy and doll hospitals offer repairs, such as repairing broken seams, replacing missing pieces, or even cleaning soft toys. Before you ditch any of your child’s toys, check to see if they can be fixed first.
Before you ditch any of your Orchard Toys because they’ve got missing pieces and you can no longer use them, you should know that Orchard offer up to 3 free replacement pieces! (You just have to cover the postage). You can also buy spare pieces for LEGO sets if you have any incomplete sets.
Recycle
If a toy is beyond repair or repurposing, then it’s time to recycle it. Many local councils have recycling centers that accept toys, but it’s important to check with your local authority to see what materials they can accept. Some recycling centers may only accept certain types of plastics or require toys to be disassembled first.
- If you have any tired inflatables that cannot be repaired Wyatt and Jack have an inflatable amnesty, where you can send them your damaged inflatables and they will give them a second life by turning them into a tote bag or back pack.
- For books that are damaged and in a state to be passed on, you can recycle them with pulp to pencil or perhaps use them for your own crafting activities, you could use them to make birthday cards, gift tags, paper flowers, bunting and other decorations.
- Lego offer a great programme, replay, to recycle your unwanted Lego, although sadly this is only offered in the US and Canada to date, but we hope they will be rolling it out to the UK soon, so keep an eye out for it!
- Last year Santa gave my daughter silicone straws for Christmas. I don’t know about you, but while I appreciate the eco value of paper straws, they don’t last more than 30 seconds with my daughter before they are soggy and have a hole in them. So, we are going to try silicone. Should your silicone straws be coming to the end of their useful life, then The Silicone Straw Company offers a recycling scheme.
- If your toys are really beyond repair, some local waste centres will accept toys for recycling, but it’s best to check in advance.
- The Hasbro Toy and Games Recycling Programme, the plastic toys are made into plastic pellets, creating new recycled products from your old Hasbro toys and games.
- The Mattel® PlayBack Programme allows you to recycle your Barbie®, Matchbox™ and MEGA™ toys for free.
- If you’ve used foil balloons for your party, please be aware there are a couple of options for recycling them: Card Factory and TerraCycle.
- If you have pens and other stationery items that are at the end of their life, you can recycle these through Reworked.
- For wooden Skateboards that are beyond repair, you can send to Built By Basil who refashions them into beautiful gear knobs for cars. Post them to; Built by Basil, Unit 11, Gordleton Farm Industrial Park, Silver Street, Lymington, SO41 6DJ.
There are many sustainable ways to repurpose preloved toys and reduce waste. Regifting, toy swapping, donating, upcycling, and repairing are all great options for keeping toys out of landfills and reducing your environmental impact. Recycling should be your last resort when all other options have been exhausted. Remember, by being mindful of what you do with preloved toys, you can make a positive impact on the environment and teach your children the importance of sustainability.
New ways of recycling and repurposing gifts and toys are cropping up all the time, so I will continue to add to this list. Please do get in contact if you know of any other great recycling schemes.
