Australians throw a staggering 26.8 million toys in the bin every year as options for recycling toys are scarce.
To help combat these figures, BIG W is expanding its Toys for Joy program to all 176 stores nationally, including Pakenham’s Big W store.
The move comes after the initiative saw more than 18 tonnes of old toys collected in its first year of trial operations.
Facilitated by recycling partner TerraCycle, BIG W’s Toys for Joy is the first of its kind toy recycling program in Australia.
According to BIG W managing director Pejman Okhovat the program aims to reduce the number of toys that find their way into landfill by giving parents and carers an easy and accessible disposal alternative at their local BIG W store.
“We know as kids grow older, they grow out of their toys and Toys For Joy provides parents peace of mind knowing that as they declutter, they are disposing of old toys in a manner that helps to reduce landfill. The program has been resonating with families, evidenced by the collection of more than 18 tonnes of waste that has been sent to TerraCycle for recycling so far,” Mr Okhovat said.
“We are committed to reducing landfill and helping to make new, fun things for kids and communities to enjoy. Our first project was a children’s playground in a school in the western suburbs of Sydney and we have new initiatives in the pipeline to help communities that need it most. We look forward to making an even greater difference now the program has a national footprint.”
TerraCycle Australia general manager Jean Bailliard said BIG W was providing a fantastic in-store recycling solution for parents.
“The program not only saves worn-out toys from landfill, our recycling process takes complex materials like metal, rubber and a variety of plastics and turns them into new materials for reuse,” Mr Bailliard said.
Customers can drop pre-loved toys into the purpose-built Toys for Joy chest, which can be found at the front of all BIG W stores.
BIG W cannot accept books, playdough and slime, pens, pencils, crayons or paint brushes, wooden toys, board games, batteries or oversized toys.
