In the News: Toy Giant Join Terracycles Toy Recycling Program

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Toy giants Join TerraCycle’s Toy Recycling Programme

Two new toy companies have added their names to the list of manufacturers that have joined TerraCycle’s bid to make toys more sustainable.

LeapFrog and Vtech, who both develop educational toys have joined the recycling programme which will allow customers to send their old and unwanted toys and learning devices to be recycled and reused. Individuals or organisations that send items to TerraCycle can earn collectors points which can be then donated to a non-profit organisation, school, or charity.

The toys and devices will be cleaned, melted down into hard plastic, and remoulded to make new products like picnic tables and park benches.

TerraCycle founder and CEO Tom Szaky said that TerraCycle’s mission is to eliminate the idea of waste and show that there are solutions for items that seem difficult to recycle. He added that TerraCycle is delighted to be working with VTech and LeapFrog to reduce the impact of waste on the environment and protect the planet for the next generation.

The VTech & LeapFrog Toys Recycling Programme is open to any individual, school, office, or community organisation that wants to take part and do their bit. For more information, visit www.terracycle.com

Rethink the toys you buy this Christmas

Go into any toy shop and you’ll see plastic toys galore. Kids love them, but sadly it’s inevitable that once you’ve spent your hard-earned cash on them and they’ve played with them for a little while, they’ll get bored, or the toys will get broken and end up in the bin.

You don’t have to avoid buying plastic completely, or round up all your child’s plastic toys and recycle them immediately, but when you’re buying toys this Christmas, why not opt for quality over quantity?

Go back to basics and look for wooden toys or quality toys made from other eco-friendly materials. Toddlers in particular love very simple toys like wooden building blocks and rocking horses, which you might think are old-fashioned, but they’ll bring them hours of entertainment.

Rather than buying new plastic toys, you can also look for second-hand toys that are in good condition, which will save precious resources and prevent a perfectly good item from ending up on landfill.

What about Christmas gifts from the family?

If you’ve made a resolution to cut down on plastic gifts this year, tell your family your plans. It’s no good you resolving to be more eco-friendly then having grandma and grandad turning up with a boatload of plastic pressies from China!

Here are some ways you can gently inform the family that you’re being more eco-friendly when it comes to gifts without offending anyone!

• Make a list of ideas for the family that includes eco-friendly toys at reasonable prices.
• Ask if a few family members will club together and get your little one a bigger eco-friendly present like a wooden doll’s house or handcrafted rocking horse. These will probably also get passed down the generations rather than ending up in the back of a cupboard or the bin after a few months!

You might think it feels impossible to remove plastic from your life completely, but it’s often better for your child’s health and your pocket to make more sustainable choices when it comes to toys. So remember when you go to buy that expensive plastic toy this Christmas that kids are far more easily pleased than you think, especially the little ones. Your efforts are protecting the planet for them.