Can you recycle toys?
💚 Reuse or donate
Donate complete, working toys; broken plastic toys are general waste (remove batteries first!).
Charity shops take clean, complete toys. Broken plastic toys can't be recycled kerbside — mixed polymers, metal axles and electronics make them unsortable. Anything with lights or sounds is WEEE: batteries out, then electrical recycling.
Tips
- ALWAYS remove button batteries — they're lethal to toddlers and cause bin fires
- Lego and Duplo hold value — sell by weight
Which bin does it go in?
Donate complete, working toys; broken plastic toys are general waste (remove batteries first!).
Before throwing it away, see reuse, repair and donation routes.
Background: Reuse, repair or donate before recycling.
Also searched as: kids toys, plastic toys, action figures.
✓ Checked against current UK guidance: 14 Jul 2026. Spot an error or an out-of-date rule?