Got a Cool New Toy for the Holidays, Great! What Do You Do With Last Year's Cool Toy? Try One of Three R's

What's Up?

Over the holiday season, many of us received toys and games as gifts.  Now your room and house is overflowing with the new and the old.  You ask yourself, which one's do I play with, which one's are cool and fun, and which one's do I keep?

Try utilizing the three R's:  Reduce, Reuse, Recycle with your collection of toys and games.

Idea

With all the new toys and games we received, consider giving away or disposing of toys that have been outgrown, are no longer played with , or do not work.

Sort through your toys and games and put them into two categories:

Reuse

Toys and games that are in good condition (not broken, incomplete or dirty) can be used by other children.  You can sell them at a garage sale or on Craigslist.  You can also give them away or donate them to a charity group. Consider listing them on Freecycle, where anyone in your local area that needs the item can pick it up and use it.

See Donations Site below for more information on places to donate used toys.

Recycle

If a toy or game is broken, dirty or cannot be used anymore, recycle the parts of the toy that can be recycled, and throw away the rest.  Also try fixing any toy that is broken.

Recyclable Pieces

(Visit Earth 911 for places to recycle)

Batteries - recycle batteries to appropriate places

E-Waste - recycle to e waste centers

Plastics - See what pieces can be recycled by your local recycling company or at PVC recycle.

Reduce

Try reducing the amount of toys and games you purchase.  The less you purchase the less you have to give away.  Consider toy sharing with neighbors or friends.  If you have the toy for a week, and then they have it for a week, it will seem like new when you get it back for your share week.

How Does It Help?

Environmentally

Per Earth911, electronic waste accounts for more than half the toxic waste in landfills.  If we reuse or recycle electronic games, it will considerably reduce the amount of toxic waste.

Also finding alternatives to throwing away batteries, plastics, and other heavy metals, we are reducing the amount of heavy metals, toxins, and containment's that leak into our soil and water.

Monetarily

By reusing and donating toys and games, we are saving money.  If you sell your items at a garage sale or on-line, you make money.

If you donate the items to shelters, hospitals, and other organizations, you are saving them money, and also meeting the needs of kids your own age.

Parent(s)

Your child will need help with this project.  Please encourage them to donate their toys to others when they are done with them.  They will most likely also need help in finding the places to drop the items off.

Donation Sites

Below is a list of some potential places that accept used toy donations.  By no means is this list all inclusive.  Please contact places in your local area to become a contributor in your home community.

Hospitals

Some hospitals do accept certain types of used toy donations.  (Please check though before you give, as some hospitals have limitations on what they accept, due to certain health restrictions).  If you have a game, coloring book, book, or craft item that has not been used, almost all hospitals can use those type of items.

Valley View Hospital, in Glenwood, Colorado, accepts gently used stuffed animals which they wash and sterilize.  They then give them to ER and surgery patients to have something to hold onto during their stay.

East Tennessee Children's Hospital in Knoxville, TN accepts used hard plastic toys along with new books and games.

In San Diego, Health Families hospitals and wellness centers collect used toys.

(Information courtesy of the EPA)

Not for Profits

Many not for profits accept used toys and games. Please call or check their websites to see what items are needed currently at that facility.

In Chicago, their is a charity called Toy Box Connection, which coordinates the collection of used toys and games.  It cleans and sorts them, and then gives them away to local charities as they are needed.

Missions & Shelters

Many missions and shelters can use toys, games, coloring books, and craft items.  Visit your local mission/shelter website to see what they can currently use.

One mission website I visited, had a wish list of both toys and games that their current residents could use.