How to Recycle Small Plastic Toys

Everyone loves to give your child small plastic toys. Usually they come with good intentions. We love to see children smile because they are delighted by a new trinket. The prize packs from school celebrate good behavior and important milestones. Family bring tiny treats just because. The local business gains ten minutes of your attention by distracting your child with a shiny object. The bracelet pen your daughter got from Girl Scouts keeps her from feeling left out when Mom didn't buy enough cookies. You know how it goes. . . Every holiday and birthday party brings more.

I still welcome these gifts because they represent a gesture of affection toward a child. Indeed, my daughter is truly delighted for anywhere from ten minutes to several days. I do, however, feel guilty about throwing these items in the landfill because I'm an Eco Mom at heart. So, I am sharing here some of my tips on recycling these adorable bits of plastic and other ephemera. Since we're emerging from a pandemic, please remember to wash the toys in dish soap, or give them a good coating of Lysol, before sending them back into circulation!

1) HALLOWEEN - In past years, I like to round up all the small toys that are in good condition, clean them up, and put them in the Halloween trick-or-treat bowl. Children receive their candy and they're also allowed to pick from the toy bowl until it's empty. I usually toss in extra (new) erasers, pencils, and other Oriental Trading Company miscelanea, as those tend to accumulate around my house too. If your child is like mine, they will not agree to letting anything go, even if they haven't played with it in a year. This system works because the overstock is liquidated while she's out accumulating candy. Warning: trick-or-treaters may spend extra time on your porch as they ponder which enticing item they want to choose.

2) PARTY FAVORS - Who says party favors have to all be the same? Children usually receive these at the end of the party and open them at home, so there won't be any disagreements about who got what. Distribute them into opaque paper gift bags, decorate with the color or theme you like, and you're set. You can denote bags by gender or age if you like. This year we had a small party and my daughter enjoyed preparing personalized favor bags. The cost was $0 and the attendees gave rave reviews! Don't like party favors? Try putting them in a piñata with the candy!

3) EVERYTHING OLD IS NEW AGAIN - Do you have tiny tots? If they are young enough to not have long memories, try hiding the items away and rounding out their next Christmas stocking, Hanukkah present, Easter basket, tooth-fairy visit, etc. That small rubber ball might be a hit the second time around.

4) TEACHER TOOLS - Do you know a teacher who can use some of these items in a "treasure chest" to positively incentivize students? We all know teachers often spend their own money on classroom items. Maybe your plastic toys or that last page of unused stickers can have a new life.

5) BOO BOX - No, it's not Halloween again. We have a charming neighbor who created a "Boo Box" in her front yard (think Boo Radley in To Kill a Mockingbird). It's basically a large glass mason jar with a lid. It's nestled into the landscaping near the sidewalk. Neighborhood children deposit small toys and trinkets and pick up other ones. Alas, my child tends to take more than she gives!

6) STOP THE CYCLE - I'll be honest, I still give in and buy badly desired small plastic junk once in a while. Overall though, I try to limit my own consumption. When I'm buying 30 gifts for classroom holiday bags, I try to buy things that can be easily recycled or that can biodegrade easily. In the past I've bought stainless steel cookie cutter packs from Ikea and divided them up, hand-painted wooden bookmarks from a trip to Mexico, or tin and paper tree ornaments.

If you find small toys cluttering your home, consider some of these ways to extend their lifespan. Let's save money, do what we can for the environment, and raise happy, healthy children!