Whether you’re a parent, a grandparent or a kid yourself… you probably have giant bins filled to the brim with toys. The amount of toys kids have today has become a little overwhelming, and the issue of getting rid of them is just as big!
NOT in the Bin
Because toys are made up of so many different materials, they are extremely difficult to recycle. What does this mean? You should NEVER put children’s toys in your recycling bin! At Millennium, our process is designed to sort out single stream items. If complex items like toys come in, they damage the equipment or worse, injure our employees.
What to do with Toys?
Consider donating toys to local organizations. Donating to a good cause can be one of the most effective ways to recycle toys. You’ll be preventing them from going into our growing landfill and giving them a second life to make another child smile. There are many, many ways to donate your toys:
- Children’s charities
- Children’s hospitals
- Churches
- Daycares
- Family members & Friends
- Neighbors
- Playgroups
- Thrift shops (Goodwill, Savers, Y’s Buys, etc)
- Libraries
Some charities will even give you a tax-deductible receipt for your donation, so be sure to ask for one if you want it.
WARNING: For health and ethical reasons, not all toys can be donated. To make sure your toys have the best chance of being reused, here are some guidelines most organizations follow:
- Must be nontoxic
- Should be clean and have all parts
- Should not be broken (especially if they pose a choking hazard)
Alternatively, some toy manufacturers have recycling programs to send toys back for special dismantling and reuse. If not, and your toy does not meet the above donation guidelines, unfortunately the final resort is to trash them.
If you do throw them in the trash, you should also remove any batteries to prevent fires in the garbage truck or at the landfill – Batteries can be recycled at the Sioux Falls Household Hazardous Waste Facility or at SEAM.
Thanks for keeping toys out of the recycling bin and keeping the Sioux Falls Single Stream moving!
Have something else you’re not sure about? Use our handy Where Do I Take This tool to search the database of local places you can recycle almost anything. If you don’t see what you’re looking for, just ask us!
Toys, Trucks, Barbies, Dolls, Teddy Bears, Stuffed Animals, rubber ducks, playset, toy, toy car, toy truck, floaties, pool toys, baby toys, kid toys, plastic toys, bike, biycycle, animal toys, stuffed toys, fabric toys, small toys, big toys
Have a Recycling Question? Contact Us!